Africa: 2026 Oscars – Norway’s ‘Sentimental Value’ Wins Best International Feature As Africa’s Wait Continues (Full List)

The Tunisian docudrama The Voice of Hind Rajab, which generated strong pre-ceremony buzz, ultimately failed to secure the award for the continent.

The weekend was all about the 98th Academy Awards, which took place on Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood to honour the best films released in 2025.

For the 21st consecutive year, no African film has taken home the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. Despite a powerful Tunisian entry making the final five, Joachim Trier’s intimate Norwegian family drama ‘Sentimental Value’ claimed the prize, becoming the first Norwegian film ever to win the category.

Across the 77-year history of the category, only three African films have won the award, with South Africa’s Tsotsi remaining the continent’s most recent victory.

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Tunisia’s ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab,’ a harrowing docudrama directed by Kaouther Ben Hania about the real-life 2024 killing of a five-year-old Palestinian girl in Gaza, was the continent’s sole representative in the final five.

The film generated massive pre-ceremony buzz. It ultimately lost out, marking yet another near-miss for African cinema.

‘Sentimental Value’

Director Joachim Trier, accepting the award on stage at the Dolby Theatre, stated, “I’m just a film nerd from Norway; this means the world to me. This film is about a very dysfunctional family, and it’s the opposite of what I felt with this beautiful group behind me. I think I’ve made films to feel at home with people, and I’ve really felt at home with the crew.”

The film, which also earned nominations in categories including Best Picture, Best Actress (Renate Reinsve), and Best Supporting Actor (Stellan Skarsgård, tells the story of a renowned film director attempting to reconnect with his two estranged adult daughters after years of emotional distance.

It’s quiet, character-driven storytelling and strong performances from the Skarsgård-Reinsve family dynamic that ultimately swayed voters over more politically charged contenders.

The biggest story for global cinema watchers, however, was Africa’s continued miss .

Nigeria’s long Oscar bid continues

Nigeria, home to Nollywood, Africa’s largest film industry by volume, has never had a single film nominated in the Best International Feature category in the entire history of the Oscars.

In 2019, Genevieve Nnaji’s ‘Lionheart’ became Nigeria’s first-ever submission but was immediately disqualified because most of the dialogue was in English (Nigeria’s official language). The decision sparked widespread outrage, with critics accusing the Academy of failing to understand postcolonial realities and African storytelling.

Subsequent submissions like CJ Obasi’s ‘Mami Wata’ (2023) and others never advanced beyond the initial list. For 2026, Nigeria didn’t submit an entry, with the selection committee explaining that none of the six entries met the necessary standards. The UK submitted a Nigerian story (My Father’s Shadow), but still did not make the cut.

Across the entire continent, only three African films have ever won the award in 77 years of the category:

Algeria’s Z (1969, Costa-Gavras, technically a French-Algerian co-production)

Ivory Coast’s Black and White in Colour (1976). South Africa’s Tsotsi (2005) was the last African winner 21 years ago.

South Africa and Algeria have multiple nominations over the decades, Tunisia has come close several times (including The Man Who Sold His Skin, 2020), and Morocco, Egypt, and others have reached shortlists, but the wins remain rare. European films continue to dominate (59 of 77 wins).

2026 Oscar notable winners

The 2026 ceremony, hosted for the second consecutive year by Conan O’Brien, lasted about three hours and 45 minutes and was broadcast on ABC and streamed on Hulu.

The event featured a garden-courtyard themed stage, live performances, an In Memoriam tribute, and a special tribute by Barbra Streisand honouring Robert Redford.

The night was largely dominated by two Warner Bros. films: ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘Sinners.’ ‘One Battle After Another,’ directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, won six Oscars, including Best Picture. Anderson also achieved a major milestone by winning his first Academy Award after 14 nominations, taking Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay on the same night.

‘Sinners,’ directed by Ryan Coogler, entered the ceremony with a record 16 nominations, the most in Oscar history, and won four awards, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan.

The ceremony also included historic achievements. Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win Best Cinematography for her work on Sinners and the first woman of colour nominated in the category. The Academy also introduced the Best Casting category in 24 years, with the inaugural award going to ‘One Battle After Another.’

Other notable winners included Amy Madigan, who won Best Supporting Actress for Weapons after a 40-year gap since her last nomination and defeated British-Nigerian actress Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners), ands other nominees Teyana Taylor, Elle Fanning, and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (both from Sentimental Value).

The film Frankenstein earned several technical awards, while the animated film KPop Demon Hunters won two Oscars. Overall, Warner Bros. led all studios with 11 wins.

Full List of 98th Academy Awards Winners

Best Picture

One Battle After Another

Best Director

Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another

Best Actor

Michael B. Jordan – Sinners

Best Actress

Jessie Buckley – Hamnet

Best Supporting Actor

Sean Penn – One Battle After Another

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Madigan – Weapons

Best Original Screenplay

Sinners – Ryan Coogler

Best Adapted Screenplay

One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson

Best Animated Feature

KPop Demon Hunters

Best International Feature

Sentimental Value (Norway

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