Pop Culture Happy Hour – 2026 Oscar Nominations

Host: NPR
Date: January 22, 2026
Panelists: Stephen Thompson, Aisha Harris, Glen Weldon

Overview

This episode dives into the much-anticipated 2026 Oscar nominations, with the PCHH team analyzing the strongest contenders, the biggest surprises, and notable snubs in major Academy Award categories. The tone is lively, opinionated, and celebratory, keeping true to PCHH’s “shot of cheer” style. Listeners get an informed, pop culture-savvy rundown on best picture, acting, and director races, as well as memorable observations about the industry’s shifting trends.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Best Picture: Genre Variety and International Representation

[00:58–04:27]

• Top Line: The panel notes a seismic shift from “Oscar bait” to diversity of genres and more international films.

• Nominees Highlighted:

  • Begonia – Sci-fi with Emma Stone as a CEO suspected to be an alien.
  • F1 – Brad Pitt as a veteran Formula 1 driver.
  • Frankenstein – Guillermo del Toro’s horror adaptation.
  • Hamnet – Shakespearean historical drama.
  • Marty Supreme – Table tennis underdog story.
  • One Battle After Another – Action thriller from Paul Thomas Anderson.
  • The Secret Agent – Brazilian political thriller.
  • Sentimental Value – Art, family, and filmmaking.
  • Sinners – 1930s juke joint, vampires, and twin drama.
  • Train Dreams – Early 1900s American epic.

• Panel Views & Notable Quotes:

  • Glen Weldon: “There’s no bloated biopics this year that kind of soak up Oscars like a sponge. …let’s take that as a win.” [03:05]
  • Aisha Harris: “Am I annoyed that I have to watch F1 now? Yes, yes, yes, yes. I hear you. But I’m also very pleased that I don’t have to watch Avatar.” [03:43]
  • Stephen Thompson: “Not a great year for your prestige franchise movies. Not only was Avatar almost entirely shut out… Wicked for Good, shut out completely.” [04:45]

• International Films: Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent recognized. Panel laments the absence of Korean film No Other Choice [04:27–04:45].

2. Best Actress in a Leading Role: Surprises and Omissions

[06:01–08:32]

• Nominees Highlighted:

  • Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
  • Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You)
  • Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue)
  • Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value)
  • Emma Stone (Begonia)

• Commentary:

  • Aisha Harris: Strongly disappointed Tessa Thompson (Hedda) didn’t get a nod; points out the recurring under-representation of Black women in this category.
    • “It was a long shot, but it felt like a missed opportunity for Tessa Thompson… I know it’s really historically hard for a Black woman not named Viola Davis to get nominated in this category. And as history has proven, it’s even more difficult for one to actually win because Halle Berry remains the only Black woman to win in this category.” [06:24]
  • Some skepticism about Kate Hudson’s nomination due to lack of buzz and “four other names” that might have been more compelling [06:43]

• Emma Stone’s Perennial Status:

  • Aisha Harris: “I do think we’ve kind of hit a point now where Emma Stone can get nominated for basically doing anything…. her name is just always a lock. Now.” [07:50]

3. Best Actor in a Leading Role: Expected Front-Runners and Emotional Highs

[08:32–10:48]

• Nominees Highlighted:

  • Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme)
  • Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)
  • Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon)
  • Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
  • Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)

• Panel Voices:

  • Glen Weldon: Pokes fun at the “woke up surprised” actor cliché, implying Chalamet was obviously expecting a nod [09:18].
  • Praises Michael B. Jordan’s dual role as both twins; recognizes the range showcased [09:27–09:39].
  • Ethan Hawke and Wagner Moura are highlighted as “pleasant surprises” [09:37–09:51].
  • Aisha Harris: Celebrates Jordan’s journey: “I am just very happy to see the kid who went from The Wire and Friday Night Lights to becoming the muse of Ryan Coogler.” [10:13]

• Snubs: Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams), Jesse Plemons (Begonia) notably left out [10:34].

4. Best Supporting Performances: Breakouts and Debate Over Roles

Actress in a Supporting Role
[12:55–16:13]

• Nominees Highlighted:

  • Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value)
  • Inge Ibsdotter Lilos (Sentimental Value)
  • Amy Madigan (Weapons)
  • Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners)
  • Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another)

• Panel Views:

  • Aisha Harris: “Teyana Taylor has had the smoke, the heat, all of that from day one, more or less. …I think she’s bringing as much as she can to a very underwritten character.” [13:42]
  • Glen Weldon: “…Taylor…she’s not on screen for long, but her performance colors every frame of that film, which is what it needs to do.” [14:23]
  • Elle Fanning called a “revelation,” with the movie’s Oscar momentum spilling over into its cast [14:38].
  • Sentimental Value recognized as a rare international film with multiple acting nods—“That’s a record. That’s unusual.” [14:38]
  • Noted “snubs/predictable omissions”: Ariana Grande (Wicked for Good), Odessa Azayan (Marty Supreme) [15:17–16:13].

Actor in a Supporting Role
[16:13–18:55]

• Nominees Highlighted:

  • Benicio Del Toro (One Battle After Another)
  • Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein)
  • Delroy Lindo (Sinners)
  • Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)
  • Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value)

• Memorable Moments:

  • Glen Weldon: “Del Toro thing, that is a small role. The only reason anybody’s talking about it…is because of that performance.” [17:04]
  • Delroy Lindo’s “long-overdue” Oscar recognition celebrated enthusiastically by all.
    • “He has been out here putting in the work for so long, and it’s great to see him recognized.” [17:22]
  • Skarsgård’s role sparks discussion of “category fraud,” with Harris noting he may be more a lead than supporting [17:50].
  • Jacob Elordi’s performance praised as a breakout: “This could have so easily been a nothing performance from an actor I think has been underrated for a while now.” [18:19]
  • Aisha Harris: “I guess there’s only room for one movie a year about a man, an artist, trying to connect with his daughters. And all that love went to Sentimental Value.” [18:55]

5. Best Director: Predictability and Pleasant Surprises

[19:15–20:25]

• Nominees Highlighted:

  • Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
  • Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
  • Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme)
  • Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value)
  • Chloé Zhao (Hamnet)

• Panel Observations:

  • The nominees matched pre-announcement predictions, noted as “pretty predictable” by Aisha Harris [19:33].
  • Particular excitement for Ryan Coogler [20:07].
  • Trier’s nod for Sentimental Value called a “legit surprise” due to its subtle direction and international roots [20:08].
  • Some surprise at Guillermo del Toro missing for Frankenstein [20:14].

Notable Quotes and Moments (with Timestamps)

• Genre expansion in Best Picture:

  • Glen Weldon: “You’ve got horror…science fiction…sports movie…genre fare, genre adjacent. They’re not melodrama, they’re not biopic. They don’t read as traditional Oscar bait.” [03:19]

• On Chalamet’s response to his nomination:

  • Glen Weldon: “At some point today, Chalamet’s gonna give an interview where he says, yeah, my agent called and woke me up…Don’t believe it. Timmy was up, he had six empty Red Bulls on the coffee table…” [09:18]

• Delroy Lindo recognition:

  • Glen Weldon: “How great is it to see Delroy Lindo get nominated?”
  • Stephen Thompson: “Oh, my God. His first ever Oscar nomination. He’s been so good for so long.” [17:17]

• International films making waves:

  • Glen Weldon: "It’s strange to see an international film kind of leeching its way into so many categories. Except, you know, for this year. It happened four times this year. That’s a record. That’s unusual.” [14:38]

• Industry trend commentary:

  • Aisha Harris: “I think what’s interesting about this is that widening of the Oscars umbrella now…It’s nice to see something like The Secret Agent, which is a Brazilian film, in there.” [03:50]

• Gender and racial dynamics in Oscars:

  • Aisha Harris (re: leading actress): “It’s really historically hard for a Black woman not named Viola Davis to get nominated in this category. And…even more difficult for one to actually win because Halle Berry remains the only Black woman to win in this category.” [06:24]

• Breakout performances lauded:

  • Aisha Harris: “I was really happy to see Elle Fanning here.” [14:13]
  • Stephen Thompson: “Jacob Elordi…delighted to see this performance rewarded.” [18:19]

Key Timed Segments (in order)

• [00:58–04:45]: Best Picture nominees, surprises, and trends.
• [06:01–08:32]: Actress in a leading role, omissions, and systemic concerns.
• [08:32–10:48]: Actor in a leading role, pleasant surprises, and shout-outs.
• [12:55–16:13]: Best Supporting Actress nominees, international representation, common “snubs.”
• [16:13–18:55]: Best Supporting Actor nominees, long-overdue recognition, category debates.
• [19:15–20:25]: Best Director nominees, prediction accuracy, pleasant and unexpected choices.

Tone & Style

Conversational, sharp-witted, and welcoming of dissent. The hosts cheer each other on and balance critique (“category fraud,” “underwritten character,” “Oscar bait”) with enthusiasm for deserved recognition and change-making films.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Oscar voters are slowly but surely expanding their appreciation for genre films and international cinema.
• Multiple acting categories feature pleasant surprises and overdue breakthroughs (especially Delroy Lindo).
• The old “Oscar bait biopic” is in retreat—trends point toward genre, mix of art-house and mainstream, and diverse cast/creators.
• Systemic barriers remain for women of color (notably in lead acting categories).
• Enthusiasm abounds for beloved actors finally breaking through, while a few names and films were left notably absent.

For Deeper Engagement

Listeners are invited to share their own reactions via the show’s Facebook page ([20:43]), and supporters can join a special live taping focused on Oscar talk.

Summary prepared to provide a comprehensive, engaging, and accessible record for those who missed the episode, highlighting major deliberations, memorable moments, and the unique character of Pop Culture Happy Hour’s Oscar season coverage.