Cosmo Editors Are Fully Spiraling Over These 2026 Oscar Snubs and Surprises

Actress in a Leading Role: Chase Infiniti for One Battle After Another

Hi, it’s us again. After some astonishing wins at this year’s Critics’ Choice Awards and Golden Globes (Yes, we’re still thinking about Teyana Taylor and Timothée Chalamet), Cosmopolitan HQ has been waiting for Oscar nominations to drop with bated breath. The day has finally come, and of course, there are some pleasant surprises we picked up on for this year’s Academy Awards.

Some actual words that were uttered in our offices this morning? “Oh, wow. Oscar Nominee Jacob Elordi?” We also nodded our heads in unison when it came to Ryan Coogler’s Sinners leading the charge (as it should be) and Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another receiving more flowers from the academy.

However, with pleasant surprises come some questionable choices…like F1 somehow making its way into the Best Picture category (doesn’t Brad Pitt have enough?). And no Best Costume nod for Paul Tazwell’s work in Wicked: For Good seems a little off, no? You already know we’ve got some hot takes about this year’s noms—so, get comfortable, dear reader, because Cosmo’s pop culture-obsessed editors are weighing in on the biggest 2026 Oscar snubs.

Warner Bros.

“Nearly every year, there’s an actor who is newly anointed as the ‘awards season darling.’ For much of 2026, that darling was (and still is, in my eyes) Chase Infiniti, who was an otherwise unknown name until Paul Thomas Anderson cast her as the lead role in One Battle After Another, the film he had been working on for thirty years. He’s gone on record to state he believes the universe was waiting for Chase to come around before he could make it happen. It takes some real chops to hold your own and carve out a performance that is truly singular when you’re sharing the screen with titans like Leonardo DiCaprio and Regina Hall, but Chase does just that.”

— Corinne Bickel, social media specialist

“If the Academy wants to recognize One Battle After Another, they need to give Chase Infiniti her flowers. She was quite literally the heart of the film, and her performance carried the entire operation on her back (in her first film performance ever, no less). I have no doubt that she’ll be an Oscar contender again in the years to come, but she absolutely deserved a spot in this year’s lineup.”

— Annabel Iwegbue, associate culture editor

Actor in a Leading Role: Paul Mescal for Hamnet

Focus Features

“I was deeply moved by Paul Mescal’s performance in Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet. He brings a reality and vulnerability to a man that is so hard to actually picture as a real human being and not a literary giant. Jessie Buckley is the star of the film, undoubtedly, but Mescal’s performance strikes a balance of letting her shine and being the real main character while also giving Shakespeare the layers he needs. While the movie was nominated in many other places, I was bummed not to see a nom for him specifically.”

— Emma Baty, deputy entertainment editor

Actor in a Leading Role: Hugh Jackman for Song Sung Blue

Focus Features

“I went into Song Sung Blue with zero expectations and came out singing the praises of Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson. I’m truly thrilled that Kate got the nom—I just wish Hugh got the same recognition. He did a difficult thing: honoring the campiness of the story without sacrificing the real emotion behind it.”

— Lucy Dolan-Zalaznick, senior video producer

Original Score: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails for Tron: Ares

Alberto E. Rodriguez//Getty Images

“Listen, we can argue back and forth about whether or not Tron: Ares was a good film. However, there were definitely parts of it that deserved recognition and was close to doing so. Best Visual Effects? All of a sudden, there’s a surprise nomination for Jurassic World Rebirth. And not to mention Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s snubs as Nine Inch Nails for their incredible score. Coming off the heels of Daft Punk’s perfect score for Tron: Legacy, NIN still managed to create an incredible soundtrack and album for our big return to the Gird. One can argue that going by their band name instead of their real names—as they’ve been using in recent films—might have hurt their chances. In reality, it goes to show that Oscar voters are still not fond of electronic music in film, which goes against the recent rise in exploring other genres in scores and allowing the art to evolve. Eventually, Oscar voters will have to change with the times, but sadly, it’s not now.”

— Tamara Fuentes, entertainment editor

Original Song: “Dream As One” by Miley Cyrus for Avatar: Fire and Ash

Columbia Records / Miley Cyrus

“The fact that Miley Cyrus pulled up to last year’s Oscars to network with the industry’s most influential filmmakers and studio heads should be enough to even land her a nod for her grandiose Avatar: Fire and Ash ballad. She connected with director James Cameron at the show and eventually penned ‘Dream As One’ for the blockbuster film—and actively campaigned for a spot on this year’s nominations list. Though her songwriting prowess and vocals are undeniably at their best, she unfortunately didn’t make the cut this time. But, as we know, Miley will get there eventually (like her long-overdue Grammy for ‘Flowers’).”

— Sam Olson, assistant news editor

Original Song: “The Girl in the Bubble” by Ariana Grande and “No Place Like Home” by Cynthia Erivo for Wicked: For Good

Universal

“Okay, I’ll be honest: I didn’t think the addition of original songs was necessary for Wicked’s second installment, though Stephen Schwartz will always be an icon. Personally, the new tracks fell a little flat in comparison to the larger-than-life songs that define the musical’s legacy, like ‘Defying Gravity’ and ‘For Good.’ That’s not to say they didn’t deserve recognition from the academy, especially when most of the internet was convinced Ariana Grande might have received a nod for providing more of a backstory for Galinda through ‘The Girl in the Bubble.’ After receiving multiple nods last year, the lack of Wicked during the 2026 awards cycle feels a bit bizarre.”

— Sam Olson, assistant news editor

Best Picture/Best Original Screenplay: Sorry, Baby

A24

“This drama was one of the most honest and respectful depictions of the emotional aftermath of assault, and it’s disappointing that Eva Victor didn’t receive acknowledgment for what her film and its screenplay were able to accomplish.”

— Annabel Iwegbue, associate culture editor

Best Picture: If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

A24

“Rose Byrne’s character did not let her ceiling fall through just for F1 to be nominated. JUSTICE FOR MOTHERS EVERYWHERE!”

— Corinne Bickel, social media specialist

Best Picture: No Other Choice

Neon

“In the current political and economic climate (at least, when speaking about the United States), it was deeply refreshing to see a film that didn’t take it easy and went absolutely batshit crazy while showcasing unrestrained frustration around the job market. Park Chan-wook, I will avenge you!”

— Corinne Bickel, social media specialist