The 2025 Oscar year is starting to shape up to a year filled with nomination behemoths.With the festival season wrapping up and the awards calendar beginning in earnest, let’s take a look at the prospects of three or more films receiving ten or more Oscar nominations, and the historical precedence of such a feat.
The History of 10+ Oscar Nominations
While 10+ Oscar nominations in a single year is much more prevalent these days (thanks in large part to an expanded Best Picture lineup and additional categories), it first happened back in 1937 with Best Picture winner The Life of Emile Zola. Since then, a total of 105 films have managed to do so.
But what about the same year? Two films have earned ten or more nominations in the same year 28 times, beginning in 1939 with Gone with the Wind and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and most recently in 2021 with Dune and Power of the Dog. Three films in the same year is much more rare, happening only four times in total (1964, 1977, 2023, and 2024).
The all-time record is four films with 10+ nominations in the same year, which belongs to 2019. Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, The Irishman, 1917, and Joker all ended up with double-digit totals, but still managed to not win Best Picture. In fact, when two or more films have more than 10+ nominations, only nine times (1967, 1977, 1981, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2024) has none of those films won Best Picture.
2025 Contenders
One Battle After Another
Low-end nominations: 9 (Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Casting, Film Editing, Original Score)
High-end nominations: 15 (Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Costume Design, Production Design)
There is a world where this could be the most nominated film in the history of the Academy. While that is certainly a stretch, it’s not out of the realm of possibility if the Oscar voters really take to it. It has a chance for not only 15 nominations, but six acting nominations, which would also be a record. Even conservatively, it might get to double-digit nominations without breaking a sweat.
Sinners
Low-end nominations: 9 (Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Casting, Cinematography, Film Editing, Original Score, Original Song, Sound)
High-end nominations:13 (Actor, Supporting Actor, Production Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Costume Design)
A low-end of nine nominations is one thing, but to do it without an acting nomination is another. Only ten of the 105 films with 10+ nominations have done so without a nominated actor (most recently, 2021’s Dune). The crafts are really where Sinners will get a chance to shine, as the musicians and technicians are expected to make the biggest nomination impact.
Marty Supreme
Low-end nominations: 6 (Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Film Editing)
High-end nominations: 12 (Supporting Actress, Original Score, Production Design, Costume Design, Cinematography, Casting)
With a strong showing at the New York Film Festival, Josh Safdie’s period piece probably needs more eyes on it to truly gauge its validity, but the response has still been overwhelmingly positive. This is the film with the lowest floor of nominations, but period crafts will always have a chance when it comes to the Oscars. The Academy has a tendency to go for “most” when it comes to things like Production Design and Costumes, so it might not have the flash to get all the way to 10+.
Hamnet
Low-end nominations: 8 (Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Production Design)
High-end nominations: 11 (Film Editing, Original Score, Casting)
While Chloe Zhao’s adaptation might be in-contention for Best Picture, there isn’t a ton of wiggle room to get to ten. The artisans Zhao has assembled are not exactly the most well-known, so people like Max Richter might be side-stepped for someone like Alexander Desplat or Trent Reznor. Regardless, ten is well within reach for this film.
Wicked: For Good
Low-end nominations: 9 (Picture, Actress, Supporting Actress, Casting, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Production Design, Original Song, Sound, Visual Effects)
High-end nominations: 13 (Director, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing)
I almost didn’t include this film, because no one has actually seen it. While I’m not expecting it to be awful, I am personally not overestimating its chances. Even without Picture or Acting, there are plenty of below-the-line nominations for the film to receive. If the acclaim for the first film is matched here, more than 10 nods should be done with relative ease.
My Prediction
One Battle After Another, Sinners, and Hamnet all end up with 10+ nominations, but Marty Supreme and Wicked: For Good fall a bit short. And yes, one of those will end up as the Best Picture of the year.
