• The Smashing Machine received a single 2026 Oscar nomination for Best Makeup & Hairstyling.
  • Dwayne Johnson, who transformed into UFC legend Mark Kerr, was not nominated for Best Actor.
  • Prosthetic designer Kazu Hiro and his team earned recognition for Johnson’s dramatic Kerr transformation.
  • Emily Blunt and other early Oscar contenders from the film were also shut out.

H2: Film earns one Oscar nod for transformative makeup

The Smashing Machine — the dramatic feature that chronicles and dramatizes the life of former heavyweight MMA star Mark Kerr — picked up a lone Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling ahead of the 2026 Oscars. The announcement leaves the film and its cast celebrated for the technical work but otherwise shut out of the major categories.

H3: Kazu Hiro credited for Mark Kerr transformation

Prosthetic designer Kazu Hiro earned the nomination for his work turning lead actor Dwayne Johnson into Mark Kerr. In a statement, Hiro praised the collaboration and patience that went into the project, noting the craftsmanship by his makeup and prosthetics team and thanking director Benny Safdie and the cast.

Johnson’s transformation required hours of makeup each day to capture Kerr’s facial features and physical presence. That extensive prosthetic and hair work is the reason The Smashing Machine was recognized by the Academy, even as expectations for additional nominations — notably Best Actor for Johnson — went unrealized.

H3: Big-name performances miss Oscar nods

Despite early awards-season buzz, Dwayne Johnson did not secure a Best Actor nomination from the Academy. Johnson did receive a Best Actor nod at the 2026 Golden Globes, but the Academy’s choices left him out. Co-star Emily Blunt, widely discussed as a possible contender for her role as Kerr’s partner, also failed to land a nomination.

H4: The category and competing films

The Smashing Machine faces off against Frankenstein, Sinners and The Ugly Stepsister in the Best Makeup and Hairstyling category. The Academy’s recognition underscores the film’s technical achievement rather than broader awards momentum across acting or directing categories.

H4: What’s next — Oscars broadcast details

The 98th Academy Awards will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 15, 2026, starting at 7 p.m. ET. With The Smashing Machine’s single nomination, the film’s awards season story will hinge on whether the prosthetics team brings home the trophy.

H5: Why the Mark Kerr angle matters

The film’s subject, former UFC and MMA standout Mark Kerr, remains central to the story and to audience interest. Johnson’s commitment to embodying Kerr — through physical performance and prosthetic transformation — was a driving force behind the project and the reason the makeup team earned this recognition. For fans of MMA and film alike, the nomination highlights the crossover appeal when a sports biography receives serious industry attention.

The Smashing Machine’s single Oscar nod is a win for its creative craftspeople and a reminder that awards recognition can come from unexpected corners. While Johnson and Blunt were shut out of acting nominations, the makeup team’s work has secured the movie a moment on Oscar night.

Image Referance: https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/467227/the-smashing-machine-earns-single-oscar-nomination-dwayne-johnson-shut-out