The Academy has long faced criticisms for a lack of diversity, declining viewership, snobbish voting habits, and messy campaign tactics. Now, in an effort to improve transparency and viewer engagement, the Academy has shed its old skin but is still finding its footing.
The 2026 Oscars will be remembered for their many groundbreaking “firsts” that reflected changes in the Academy’s ideology and the cinematic future. The Academy wants to reshape audience expectations, as Academy president Janet Yang and CEO Bill Kramer believe that people’s tastes are changing quickly. They say the Academy needs to be “innovative and entrepreneurial while still preserving the legacy and traditions,” according to Vanity Fair.
This year, Sinners, which earned the most nominations in Oscars history, was expected to win big against One Battle After Another. Yet, the latter received six awards against Sinners’ four. All eyes were on one key question: how many nods would become actual victories?
The most Oscar-nominated film distributors this year include Warner Bros. (30 nominations), Neon (18), Netflix (16), Focus Features (13), A24 (11), Apple (6), Disney (4), Sony Pictures (2), and Universal (1). Major distributors like Netflix, Warner Bros, and A24 determine which films get serious Oscar campaigns; “For Your Consideration” promotions significantly impact the Academy’s nominations and indirectly, its evolving tastes.
The 2026 Oscars demonstrated that the Academy cannot operate on its own until it adapts to the influence of distributors. The Academy, if it wants to be a truly flexible institution, needs to stay up to date with the shifting factors in global cinema and new release models.
Timothée Chalamet missed out at the ceremony, perhaps due to the controversy over his opera comments, but the controversy overshadowed the hard reality that everyone failed to understand. Leonardo DiCaprio expressed the same concern to Time in December: the cinematic experience is under threat, and bringing people to cinemas is a massive challenge now. It’s the same message as Chalamet, who pointed out the limited audience activity in modern opera and ballet. He feared the cinemagoing population might also minimize, like a small group of opera enthusiasts who struggle to keep the experience alive.
After the dazzling showcase of this year’s Oscars, here’s my take on what worked and what the Academy still hasn’t figured out.
What the Oscars Got Right
- Horror rules!
For the first time ever in Oscars history, horror films won eight Academy Awards in a single night. Sinners won four awards, Frankenstein won three, while Weapons bagged one.
Amy Madigan and Michael B. Jordan became two of just eight total actors who have won Oscars for performances in horror movies over the past 98 years. Madigan’s first Oscar nomination was in 1985, marking a 40-year gap between nominations, the longest between acting noms for an actress in history.
The Academy is becoming comfortable in recognizing genre films while accepting artistic boundaries. There is greater appreciation for genre-blending films (horror, musical, thriller elements) combined with prestige storytelling, perhaps moving away from focusing on slow-burning dramas as they have for years.
- Genre-bending films with character-driven stories win big
With Sinners and One Battle, the Oscars featured two strong contenders in a cutthroat competition, as they secured 16 and 14 nominations, respectively. Both exhilaratingly ambitious genre-hopping, these films amped up the thrill levels. It is proof that the Academy is rewarding large-scale, original cinematic experiences to stay relevant with modern audiences.
Their plots weren’t carrying these stories; rather, it was their characters with personal ambitions, moral dilemmas, and human vulnerabilities. The raw, fragile perspectives of these stories gripped audiences by the collar, and they willingly capitulated to their intensity. Hence, the Academy welcomed them with open arms.
- A milestone for women behind the camera
Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman to ever win the Oscar for Best Cinematography, a landmark moment that reflects the Academy’s evolving priorities. It is more than a personal achievement; it is a gigantic shift in the Oscars’ approach to diversity, inclusion, and talent recognition.
Moreover, it is the Academy’s open declaration to reward artistic merit over tradition. Gender discrimination is out the door, and the celebration of talent across gender lines is the prominent contemporary vision of filmmaking that defines the Academy’s future vision.
- A move away from franchise dominance
By overlooking major franchise entries like Avatar: Fire and Ash and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the Oscars signaled a preference for original stories over established cinematic universes. This shows the Academy’s clear commitment to original, creative, and risk-taking narratives. It’s the Academy’s way of telling creators to take creative risks, even if it means taking baby steps, rather than relying on pre-existing intellectual property.
- “Best Casting” category: Best decision
Finally, the fight for a brand new category, “Best Casting,” paid off as we get to see the deepening of the skill expansion and appreciation that restructures several components of American filmmaking. This first award was won by Cassandra Kulukundis for casting in One Battle, a win that could influence future Oscar trends in performance ensemble and artistic quality, rooted in craft-based roles.
What They Still Don’t Understand
Of course, despite these strides, the Academy hasn’t found the perfect formula to please filmmakers, credit their craft, or even become a cultural force that resonates with global audiences. There is always room for improvement. The antiquated structure of prestige still has some shortfalls.
- Rejection of formulaic franchises
The Academy’s resistance to franchises might, too, be a drawback. Major franchises like Avatar, Wake Up Dead Man, and Wicked are pushed back. Wicked (2024) won two Oscars (Best Production Design and Best Costume Design) from a total of ten nominations. This time, Wicked: For Good was completely shut out.
This is concerning in its own right, as these films were technically innovative and widely praised. Their exclusion may reflect institutional bias against sequels rather than purely artistic judgment.
- Continued snubbing of major auteurs
Notable directors such as Guillermo del Toro and Wes Anderson were ignored despite their critically acclaimed projects, Frankenstein and The Phoenician Scheme. This suggests the Academy might be prioritizing stories with a huge cultural impact and shrugging off visibility in favor of auteur eminence.
- Selective acceptance of streaming films
Frankenstein, Train Dreams, and the animated hit KPop Demon Hunters were released on Netflix. The Academy’s subtle bias towards theatrical prestige films is evident, even though streaming platforms are now central to film distribution.
Streaming platforms are the new dawn of the film industry, as recent consolidation, characterized by the merger of Paramount with Warner Bros., will dramatically reshape Hollywood and directly impact the Oscars. The hybrid streaming giants might force the Academy to move away from traditional studio dominance.
That said, Warner Bros. can no longer be assumed to be the shining frontrunner as Netflix, Apple TV, and Amazon MGM now regularly challenge the legacy of prominent studios. Oscar campaigns require enormous investments, and streaming consolidations mean fewer competitors for the Oscars. The Academy should note that these competitors will be tech-focused, wealthier in content, and increasingly dictate new rules for film distribution and recognition.
- Comedy actors are systematically undervalued
Jay Kelly, also released on Netflix, was a comedy-drama that was a major fixture in early 2026 Oscar predictions. Mixed reviews and a lack of early momentum led to it being a “snub.”
Adam Sandler received nominations for his role in the film at the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards and the Golden Globes, but was notably snubbed for an Oscar nomination. In a year when originality and risk-taking were lauded, the Oscars are clearly reluctant to honor comedy as a serious art form.
- Underrepresented voices and the cost of high-stakes campaigning
Despite the Academy’s claims of global inclusivity, It Was Just an Accident and my personal favorite, No Other Choice, were largely ignored. International, politically driven films are still struggling hard to make their way to the Oscars.
When Parasite(2019) won Best Picture and Best International Feature Film, it gave new hope to international features. But this year’s major snubs still embody the fact that the Academy’s international expansion has not fully translated into equal recognition.
No Other Choice was also a victim of high-passion campaigning and distributor overload. Neon was too busy campaigning for several other international contenders despite the film garnering strong precursor nominations (three Golden Globes and a Critics’ Choice). It ultimately received zero Oscar nominations. Building early momentum and passionate audience reception does not always translate into award recognition, as evidenced by the later criticism of Neon’s “F Your Consideration” billboard.
In a world full of crises, the 2026 Oscars served up something fresh, broke free from the monotony of previous years, and proved that the show must go on. Film is an art form that remains a powerful mirror of our times.
One Battle, a political thriller that swept the ceremony, is a vivid vignette of how films capture the urgency and complexity of real-life turmoil and speak to a new generation of viewers. It is the strongest impression of cinema’s enduring role in a world that still needs stories that matter.
Article Courtesy of Madiha Ali