The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences woke up with a taste for blood on Thursday morning. Ryan Coogler’s Southern Gothic supernatural thriller, “Sinners,” didn’t just lead the 98th Oscar nominations, it ate them up. In a show of strength from Warner Bros., the Michael B. Jordan-starrer secured a record-breaking 16 nominations, officially toppling the 14-nod ceiling previously shared by All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land. The haul effectively cements the film as the frontrunner for the March 15 ceremony.

Jordan, playing double duty as twin brothers Smoke and Stack, finally broke into the Best Actor circle, a long-overdue first for the A-lister. He faces a formidable lineup that includes Timothée Chalamet, who became the youngest star with three Best Actor nods for the table tennis drama “Marty Supreme,” and Leonardo DiCaprio for Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling “One Battle After Another.” Anderson’s film followed closely behind with 13 nominations, including a Best Supporting Actor duel between Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro.

The dominance of “Sinners” extended through every major branch, with Coogler earning individual nods for Best Director and Original Screenplay, while the film’s ensemble was recognized via supporting turns from Wunmi Mosaku and veteran Delroy Lindo. In the Best Director race, Coogler and Anderson are joined by Chloé Zhao for the Shakespearean drama “Hamnet,” Josh Safdie for “Marty Supreme,” and Joachim Trier for the Norwegian hit “Sentimental Value.” 

The Best Actress race, meanwhile, looks to be a duel between frontrunner Jessie Buckley (Hamnet) and Emma Stone, who broke records of her own with a nod for the Yorgos Lanthimos-directed “Bugonia.” They are joined by surprise nominee Kate Hudson for “Song Sung Blue” and Renate Reinsve for “Sentimental Value.”

The announcement also marked a victory for the “crafts,” as “Sinners” became one of the few films to sweep every technical category, from the newly introduced Best Casting branch to Visual Effects. However, the morning wasn’t without its casualties. Despite a massive campaign, the musical sequel “Wicked: For Good” was notably absent from the top categories.

With Conan O’Brien returning to host at the Dolby Theatre, the stage is set for a historic night that pits Coogler’s vampires against PTA’s Americana and Zhao’s poetic history. If this morning’s tally is any indication, the 98th Oscars will belong to the sinners.