If you thought “The Substance” was a rare case of horror breaking into the Oscars, think again — 2026 might see it happen once more. According to Variety, Warner Bros has submitted two original songs from “Sinners” for Academy Award consideration, highlighting the soundtrack as a key part of the movie’s awards campaign.
‘Sinners’ Soundtrack Enters the Oscar Conversation
The songs pushed by Warner Bros capture the emotional core of Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners.” They reflect the journey of Samuel “Sammie” Moore, also known as “Preacherboy,” the sharecropper and aspiring blues musician navigating family ties and personal ambition. Miles Caton, who portrays Sammie, performs both “I Lied to You,” written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson, and “Last Time (I Seen the Sun),” a duet with Alice Smith, the two tracks submitted for consideration.
Source: IMDb
Variety also informs that Warner Bros isn’t stopping at the music. The studio has positioned “Sinners” as one of its top awards-season priorities, submitting the film across major categories including Best Picture, Best Director, Original Screenplay, and multiple acting races.
Music has been central to “Sinners” from the beginning. Composer Ludwig Göransson, a longtime collaborator of Coogler’s, immersed himself in the history of Delta blues to craft a score rooted in authenticity and emotion. Working alongside producer Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell at Royal Studios in Memphis, Göransson recorded live sessions with musicians including Alvin Youngblood Hart, Cedric Burnside, Brittany Howard, and blues legend Buddy Guy.
The result is a soundtrack that feels alive, carrying the weight of history while sounding utterly new. Critics have praised Göransson’s work as one of the picture’s defining achievements, calling it a soulful bridge between cinema and music history. For Warner Bros, the submission of these songs isn’t just a strategic awards move—it’s a recognition of how “Sinners” uses music to tell a story that lingers long after the credits roll.
