The critically acclaimed, politically charged vampire flick might have been second favourite in the best picture race for much of this seemingly endless awards season, but talk of a late surge – brought on in part by its win in the best ensemble category at The Actor Awards – had led some to believe it might pull off an impressive upset and pip Paul Thomas Anderson's magnificent One Battle After Another to the hugely coveted gong.
Ultimately it wasn't to be: One Battle prevailed, and surely stands as one of the finest best picture winners of recent years. But we shouldn't for one minute let the fact that Sinners missed out on this award dampen what has nonetheless been an exceptionally successful season for the passionately supported movie.
View Green Video on the source websiteA film that gets nominated but doesn't win is by no means a loser, and indeed being honoured as one of the best five or ten films in each individual category is a major accomplishment in itself. To be nominated for sixteen of those speaks to the overwhelmingly high esteem in which the film is held, something not undone by the fact that another terrific movie from a beloved director narrowly secured more votes when all is said and done.
In the third of his three acceptance speeches of the night, Anderson himself said: "There is no best among them. There is just what the mood might be that day." He went on to reference the infamously stacked 1975 best picture line-up – which consisted of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Barry Lyndon, Dog Day Afternoon, Jaws and Nashville – but it was clear he was suggesting the same applied this time around; it's ultimately rather arbitrary to choose between the nominees, most of which had very solid cases for being the pick of the bunch.
Meanwhile, there was also something of a surprise win in best cinematography, a category which had seen One Battle After Another enlisted as the bookmakers's favourite but which ultimately saw Autumn Durald Arkapaw become the first ever woman to win this award. And then there were the expected, and very much deserved, wins for Ryan Coogler in original screenplay and composer Ludwig Göransson in best original score.
All of this is even more impressive when we consider the genre to which Sinners belongs. As has often been pointed out, horror films have rarely been treated with the respect they deserve by the Academy, and The Silence of the Lambs is the only previous best picture winner win that can truly claim to meet the criteria for inclusion in the genre (though some might make the argument for Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water).
And whichever way you look at things, last night was a terrific one for horror – the best yet for the genre in 98 editions of this storied awards show. Not only were there the aforementioned victories for Sinners, but there were three craft awards for del Toro's take on one of the most iconic horror tales of all, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, in production design, makeup and hairstyling and costume design.
Of course, for some horror fans this still won't quite be enough; a best picture win for Sinners would have been the icing on the cake, and there were some other great performances – such as Sally Hawkins's chilling role in Bring Her Back – that failed to muster much attention throughout the season despite their obvious merits.
Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Hence then, the article about sinners might have missed out on best picture but make no mistake the 2026 oscars were the best yet for horror was published today ( ) and is available on Radio Times ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Sinners might have missed out on best picture, but make no mistake – the 2026 Oscars were the best yet for horror )
Also on site :