Pakistan, Jan. 23 -- Vampire thriller "Sinners," a celebration of blues music and Black culture in the Segregation-era US South, stormed into the awards race on Thursday with the most Academy Award nominations of any film in history, landing 16 nods.

The large haul sets up "Sinners" as the frontrunner heading into the March 15 Oscars, where it will face off against contenders including "One Battle After Another," "Frankenstein," "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme" and more for the coveted best picture prize.

The previous record for most nominations in a single year was 14, a mark hit by "All About Eve," "Titanic" and "La La Land."

"Bugonia," "F1," "The Secret Agent," "Sentimental Value" and "Train Dreams" also were nominated for this year's best...