Horror genre secured eight Oscars, surpassing previous record

Horror movie genre secured eight awards at the 2026 edition of the Academy Awards, the highest number the genre has received in a single night, surpassing the previous record of five set in 1992. Horror dominated several categories across acting, writing, and technical fields.

The film Sinners received four awards. Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for his role in the film, while Sinners also won for Original Screenplay, Original Score, and Cinematography.

In the supporting acting category, Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Weapons. Frankenstein won three craft categories: Makeup and Hairstyling, Costume Design, and Production Design.

The result surpassed the previous record set at the Academy Awards, when The Silence of the Lambs won five awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

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The recognition comes at a time when horror films have also been attracting audiences not just internationally but in Nigeria. In 2025, previous surveys showed that local box office performance from horror titles such as Sinners, which grossed N775.8 million, alongside releases including Final Destination 6, Weapons, The Conjuring 4, and 28 Years Later.

Nollywood has also begun exploring the genre more directly. One recent example is Alive Till Dawn, released in our Nigerian cinemas on January 30, 2026. The zombie apocalypse film was produced by Leo Obienyi and Uzor Arukwe and follows a group of people trapped together after a viral outbreak.

The film grossed more than N40 million in its second week and earned over N20 million during its opening weekend, becoming the highest-grossing Nollywood title so far in 2026. It also outperformed films such as Everything is New Again, which earned N28.1 million during the same period.

In 2024, The Weekend, directed by Daniel Oriahi, also drew attention to the genre after winning Best Film at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.

The outcome at the 2026 Oscars and the performance of recent films suggest continued interest in horror from audiences and filmmakers. Questions remain if the genre gets similar recognition in local award shows.