Record 16 Oscar nominations for ‘Sinners’ include Atlanta hairstylist Shunika Terry in makeup race

A record-setting nominations morning puts a Georgia-based artist in the Oscars spotlight

“Sinners,” a Warner Bros. release directed by Ryan Coogler, led the 98th Academy Awards field with 16 nominations—an all-time high for a single film. The nominations span top categories such as best picture and directing as well as a wide range of technical fields, underscoring the production’s breadth across departments.

Among the nominees is Atlanta-based hairstylist Shunika Terry, recognized in the Academy Award category for achievement in makeup and hairstyling. Terry is nominated alongside Ken Diaz and Mike Fontaine for their work on “Sinners,” placing a local craft professional on Hollywood’s biggest awards stage.

How the hairstyling nomination fits into “Sinners” overall Oscar dominance

“Sinners” landed nominations across multiple production disciplines, including cinematography, costume design, production design, sound and visual effects, as well as screenplay categories. That extensive list helped propel the film to the record total and positioned it as the most broadly recognized contender of the year.

The makeup and hairstyling nomination is one component of that sweep, reflecting the Academy’s practice of honoring screen transformation through design and execution. In genre filmmaking—particularly projects that rely on stylized character creation—hair and makeup can be central to continuity, period authenticity and character identity, factors that are evaluated within the branch’s specialized voting process.

The nominees in makeup and hairstyling

The Academy’s 2026 nominees for achievement in makeup and hairstyling are:

• “Frankenstein” — Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey
• “Kokuho” — Kyoko Toyokawa, Naomi Hibino and Tadashi Nishimatsu
• “Sinners” — Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine and Shunika Terry
• “The Smashing Machine” — Kazu Hiro, Glen Griffin and Bjoern Rehbein
• “The Ugly Stepsister” — Thomas Foldberg and Anne Cathrine Sauerberg

An Atlanta career built in film and television

Terry’s nomination adds to Atlanta’s expanding footprint in film and TV production, where the region’s crews increasingly work on projects that compete at the highest industry levels. Terry has built credits across film and television as a hair designer and department head, with work spanning major studio features and high-profile series.

With “Sinners” collecting 16 nominations, the film’s craftspeople—including hair and makeup—are part of a larger recognition of the production’s scale and execution.

The 98th Academy Awards will determine whether “Sinners” converts its record-setting nomination haul into wins, including in the competitive makeup and hairstyling category where Terry and her team are now among the final five contenders.