For decades, horror films have terrified audiences while quietly delivering some of the most powerful performances in modern cinema. Yet when awards season arrived, the genre was often ignored by the Academy.
The list of snubs is long. Toni Collette’s devastating performance in Hereditary, Lupita Nyong’o’s chilling dual role in Us, Essie Davis in The Babadook, and Florence Pugh in Midsommar… All were widely praised but failed to land Oscar nominations. But in 2026, that pattern may finally be changing.
Horror films in this year’s Oscars nominations
The biggest headline is Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which earned an astonishing 16 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, along with multiple acting categories. Michael B. Jordan received a nomination for his dual role as twin gangsters Smoke and Stack, while Wunmi Mosaku and Delroy Lindo were also recognized for their performances.
Other horror titles made notable appearances as well. The supernatural thriller Weapons earned a Supporting Actress nomination for Amy Madigan’s terrifying performance as Aunt Gladys. Guillermo del Toro’s gothic Frankenstein adaptation secured nine nominations, including Best Picture and a Best Actor nod for Jacob Elordi.
Meanwhile, Yorgos Lanthimos’ dark sci-fi satire Bugonia earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Emma Stone, along with nods for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score, signaling how genre-blending horror is increasingly breaking into the Academy’s top categories.
At the 98th Academy Awards, Weapons star Amy Madigan won an Oscar for Supporting Actress, and Ryan Coogler won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Frankenstein also won multiple awards for its incredible costume design.
Horror, a historically overlooked genre
While a heavyweight at the box office, horror films have always struggled to gain critical acclaim, especially at the Academy Awards. Despite being one of the most popular and prolific genres (along with comedy and thrillers), only a handful of movies have managed to break through at the Oscars, and rarely in major categories.
The Silence of the Lambs famously swept the “Big Five” Oscars in 1992, while Get Out won Best Original Screenplay in 2018. Kathy Bates also won Best Actress for Misery in 1991. Other winning films include Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Best Sound Editing, Best Makeup, and Best Costume Design), Alien (Best Visual Effects), The Exorcist (Best Sound and Best Adapted Screenplay), and Jaws (Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Original Dramatic Score).
