Sandler Slams Academy, Ridicules Nominees with Joke

Adam Sandler made the rare move of ridiculing his fellow actors while slamming the Oscars.

When at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Thursday, he said the stars in the Best Supporting Actor Oscar category likely made the list because they were better 'ass kissers' than he.

The jab was meant to be a joke.

The nominees for Best Supporting Actor are Benicio del Toro for One Battle After Another, Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein, Delroy Lindo for Sinners, Sean Penn for One Battle After Another and Stellan Skarsgard for Sentimental Value.

Sandler, 59, has been upset that he was not Oscar nominated for his role in Jay Kelly, a drama which costarred George Clooney and Laura Dern.

Scroll down for a list of nominations...

Adam Sandler made the rare move of ridiculing his fellow actors while slamming the Oscars. When at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Thursday, he said the stars in the Best Supporting Actor Oscar category likely made the list because they were better 'ass kissers'

The jab was meant to be a joke; seen at the awards on Thursday

'For real, thank you to everyone that got an Oscar nomination this year. Congrats. You earned it. I truly do think you're better at acting than me,' he said. 'I also truly think you are better at ass-kissing in the Academy.'

Sandler was positioned as a potential contender for Best Supporting Actor for his dramatic role in the film Jay Kelly.

Despite early buzz for the performance - like nominations at the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globe Awards - the Oscars did not list him.

Before that he delivered another joke.

'Thank you to the fortune teller I met in 1982 who told me I would win an Oscar for a movie called Jay Kelly. Is it possible you didn't say the full title and actually meant Jay Kelly 2?' Sandler said as he accepted the Maltin Modern Master Award.

And then he delivered a warning to other actors/

'I have to say to my fellow thespians, I think next year I'm going to whoop your ass. I show the deepest, darkest Sandman you have seen in Grown Ups 3, Sandler joked.

'But honestly, thank you for this award, it means the world.'

The nominees for Best Supporting Actor are Benicio del Toro (pictured left) for One Battle After Another, Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein, Delroy Lindo for Sinners, Sean Penn (pictured right) for One Battle After Another and Stellan Skarsgard for Sentimental Value.

While onstage conversation at the event, Sandler again addressed not being Oscar nominated. 'I didn't get an Oscar nomination. That's all good, man. I don't sit and think about that too much,' he said.

While onstage conversation at the event, Sandler again addressed not being Oscar nominated.

'I didn't get an Oscar nomination. That's all good, man. I don't sit and think about that too much,' he said.

'I woke up that morning and heard I didn't get it. ... Everyone who did get the nomination, I'm like, well, they were f***ing great. So it made sense. It doesn't bug me that much.

'I do feel nothing but pride for that movie and I loved running around with Noah [Baumbach] and Clooney and Laura and with the whole team. You never forget those times. It was amazing.'

Oscar 2026 nominations in full

Best Picture

Bugonia

Frankenstein

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

The Secret Agent

Sentimental Value

Sinners

Train Dreams

Sinners earned most Oscar nominations ever with 16 including Best Picture

Best Actor

Timothee Chalamet - Marty Supreme

Leonardo DiCaprio - One Battle After Another

Ethan Hawke - Blue Moon

Michael B. Jordan - Sinners

Wagner Moura - The Secret Agent

Timothee Chalamet was recognized for his work in Marty Supreme

Best Actress

Jessie Buckley - Hamnet

Rose Byrne - If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Kate Hudson - Song Sung Blue

Renate Reinsve - Sentimental Value

Emma Stone - Bugonia

Best Supporting Actor

Benicio del Toro - One Battle After Another

Jacob Elordi - Frankenstein

Delroy Lindo - Sinners

Sean Penn - One Battle After Another

Stellan Skarsgard - Sentimental Value

Best Supporting Actress

Elle Fanning - Sentimental Value

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas - Sentimental Value

Amy Madigan - Weapons

Wunmi Mosaku - Sinners

Teyana Taylor - One Battle After Another

Amy Madigan was put forward in the Best Supporting Actress category for Weapons

Best Director

Chloe Zhao - Hamnet

Josh Safdie - Marty Supreme

Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another

Joachim Trier - Sentimental Value

Ryan Coogler - Sinners

Best Original Screenplay

Robert Kaplow - Blue Moon

Jafar Panahi - It Was Just an Accident

Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie - Marty Supreme

Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier - Sentimental Value

Ryan Coogler - Sinners

Ryan Coogler was nominated in the Best Original Screenplay field for Sinners

Best Adapted Screenplay

Will Tracy - Bugonia

Guillermo Del Toro - Frankenstein

Chloe Zhao and Maggie O'Farrell - Hamnet

Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another

Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar - Train Dreams

Best Animated Feature Film

Arco

Elio

KPop Demon Hunters

Little Amelie or the Character of Rain

Zootopia 2

Best International Feature Film

The Secret Agent (Brazil)

It Was Just an Accident (France)

Sentimental Value (Norway)

Sirat (Spain)

The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia)

Brazilian film The Secret Agent starring Wagner Moura is nominated for Best International Feature Film

Best Casting

Nina Gold - Hamnet

Jennifer Venditti - Marty Supreme

Cassandra Kulukundis - One Battle After Another

Gabriel Domingues - The Secret Agent

Francine Maisler - Sinners

Best Cinematography

Dan Laustsen - Frankenstein

Darius Khondji - Marty Supreme

Michael Bauman - One Battle After Another

Autumn Durald Arkapaw - Sinners

Adolpho Veloso - Train Dreams

One Battle After Another is up for Best Cinematography

Best Production Design

Frankenstein

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Best Editing

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

Sentimental Value

Sinners

Best Original Score

Bugonia

Frankenstein

Hamnet

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Best Original Song

Dear Me - Diane Warren: Relentless

Golden - KPop Demon Hunters

I Lied to You - Sinners

Sweet Dreams of Joy - Viva Verdi!

Train Dreams - Train Dreams

Global hit KPop Demon Hunters received a Best Original Song nod for Golden

Best Sound

Frankenstein

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Sirat

Best Visual Effects

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Jurassic World: Rebirth

The Lost Bus

Sinners

Avatar: Fire and Ash earned a Best Visual Effects nomination

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Frankenstein

Kokuho

Sinners

The Smashing Machine

The Ugly Stepsister

Best Costume Design

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Frankenstein

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

Sinners

Frankenstein earned a Best Costume Design nod

Best Animated Short Film

Butterfly

Forevergreen

The Girl Who Cried Pearls

Retirement Plan

The Three Sisters

Best Live-Action Short Film

Butcher's Stain

A Friend of Dorothy

Jane Austen's Period Drama

The Singers

Two People Exchanging Saliva

Best Documentary Feature Film

The Alabama Solution

Come See Me in the Good Light

Cutting Through Rocks

Mr Nobody Against Putin

The Perfect Neighbor

Mr Nobody Against Putin is up for best Documentary Feature Film

Best Documentary Short

All the Empty Rooms

Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud

Children No More: Were and Are Gone

The Devil Is Busy

Sandler Slams Academy, Ridicules Nominees with Joke

Oscar 2026 nominations in full

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