2026 brought vampire, Shakespeare, and ping pong to the big screen.

All stories and performances riveting enough to put them in contention for Hollywood's highest honor, the Oscar.

With Sinners' record-breaking 16 nominations.

This year's awards are already a story.

It's like, wow, this movie has really grown legs and has roots, and it's really, it's solidified itself as a moment.

That was Sinner's star Michael B. Jordan.

The question is who will walk away with Oscar Gold?

Hello and welcome to USA Today's The Excert. I'm Dana Taylor. Today is Friday, January 23rd,

2026. Joining me to discuss both the highs and the heartbreak following the announcement of

this year's Oscar nominees is USA Today Entertainment

Reporter Ralphie Aversa.

It's good to have you back, Ralphie.

Always a pleasure, Dana.

Let's start with Ryan Kukler's Sinner's record breaking hall.

After missing out on Best Picture at the Golden Globes, does this shift the momentum, Ralphie?

I think it does a little bit.

I mean, one of the interesting things, and we've seen this before, the Golden Globes

aren't always a direct indicator for what's going to transpire at the Academy Awards.

The voting bodies are obviously different, the Golden Globes.

It was the, as I like to call them, the artist formerly known as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

They're not called that anymore, but you get the idea.

There are a lot of foreign press, obviously, that are voting with the Golden Globes.

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