Oscars 2026 could smash records in a historic night for Hollywood

It’s the most glamorous night in Hollywood, as awards season is set to reach its crescendo on Sunday (March 15) with the 98th annual Academy Awards.

While the entire country will be watching with bated breath as Jessie Buckley is hotly tipped for Best Actress, the entire film industry is set for a huge night — with several records and firsts potentially being made/broken.

The long-standing record of most Oscar wins in a single night, held by "Ben-Hur", "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," and "Titanic", could be broken this Sunday — as both "Sinners" and "One Battle After Another" are nominated for the most awards on the night.

"One Battle After Another", the Paul Thomas Anderson action film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is nominated for 13 awards at the upcoming Oscars, while horror film "Sinners", which stars Michael B Jordan in two roles, is up for a record-shattering 16 awards — meaning that the decades-long record of most Academy Awards won may be broken by one or another.

The Best Director category could also see a first on Sunday, with "Sinners" director Ryan Coogler hoping to become the first black man to win the award, while "Hamnet’s" Chloe Zhao could be the first ever female two-time Best Director winner.

Jessie Buckley at the IFTAs.

While in Ireland, we’re all hoping for Jessie Buckley to become the first Irish actress ever to win Best Actress for her role as Agnes Shakespeare in "Hamnet". However, there could be a night for firsts in the competitive category.

Renate Reinsve, who’s up for the Best Actress award for her role in "Sentimental Value," could become the first Norwegian actress ever to win this category, according to VegasInsider.com. As well as this, Emma Stone is looking to become the first ever three-time Best Actress winner for her role in "Bugonia" — adding to her already impressive tally from "La La Land" and "Poor Things".

Other nationalities hoping to make history at the Oscars are Brazilian actor Wagner Moura ("The Secret Agent"), who’s up for Best Actor; Stellan Skarsgard, who could be the first Swedish actor ever to win Best Supporting Actor, and Wumni Mosaku, who’s hoping to become the first Nigerian woman ever to win Best Supporting Actress for her outstanding role in "Sinners". Inga Ibsdotter Lilleas, who’s also up for Best Supporting Actress, could become the first Norwegian to ever win an acting Oscar.

[In Ireland] The 98th Academy Awards will be aired live on RTÉ One at 11 pm on Sunday (March 15), with a highlights show on RTÉ 2 at 9 pm on Monday (March 16).

* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.