Wunmi Mosaku, star of the hit vampire film Sinners, reveals she has been unable to celebrate her Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination due to the tense political climate in the United States.
Mosaku Grapples with Nomination Amid Immigration Unrest
The 39-year-old British actress, who resides in Los Angeles and is pregnant with her second child, competes for the award for her role as Annie, the estranged wife of one of the twin brothers played by Michael B. Jordan.
Mosaku points to recent immigration enforcement actions, including the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minnesota and the apprehension of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos as he returned home from school.
“I’ve not been able to celebrate because of what’s going on right now, with the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minnesota and the kidnapping of a five-year-old boy,” Mosaku stated. “It’s difficult to hold both the nomination and the news because one feels beautiful and one is so dark and heavy; truly dystopian—how can I possibly go out and buy some drinks and enjoy the moment?”
Born in Nigeria and raised in Manchester after moving there as a child, Mosaku pursued her acting career in LA. Married to an American, she shared her thoughts on family plans: “It was never part of my plan to raise my children in the US. I anticipate moving but I’m not sure where. I’d love to live closer to nature… In Tanzania? I’m not going to lie, it’s hard to envision coming back to Manchester when you’ve been spoilt by the weather in LA.”
Trump Administration Halts Minnesota Immigration Operation
President Trump recently ended the intensified immigration crackdown in Minnesota, known as Operation Metro Surge, following the January shootings during deportation efforts. White House border czar Tom Homan announced the conclusion after three weeks.
“We’ve seen a big change here in the last couple of weeks,” Homan said at a press conference in Minneapolis. “I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude. Twin Cities and Minnesota in general are and will continue to be much safer for the communities here because of what we have accomplished under President Trump’s leadership.”
Local police and officials have cooperated with ICE, enabling arrests in jails. Polls indicate public disapproval of the incidents, posing challenges for the administration ahead of midterm elections.
Sinners Secures Record 16 Oscar Nominations
Ryan Coogler’s horror film Sinners, set in the Jim Crow South where twin brothers confront a vampire threat, has earned 16 Academy Award nominations—the most for any film in history, surpassing the 14 tied by Titanic, All About Eve, and La La Land.
The movie vies for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Coogler, Best Actor for Jordan, and Best Supporting Actor for Delroy Lindo as pianist Delta Slim. Additional nods include cinematography, score, makeup and hairstyling, editing, production design, sound, visual effects, costume design, and casting. Its song “I Lied to You,” by Ludwig Goransson and Raphael Saadiq, performed by Miles Caton, competes for Best Original Song.
Key 2026 Oscar Categories
Best Picture Nominees
- Bugonia
- F1
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- The Secret Agent
- Sentimental Value
- Sinners
- Train Dreams
Best Actor Nominees
- Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
- Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
- Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
- Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
- Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
Best Supporting Actress Nominees
- Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
- Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
- Amy Madigan – Weapons
- Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
- Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Other categories feature strong contenders across directing, screenplays, technical achievements, and international films.
