2026 Oscar nominations predictions: Picture, director, actors, screenplay & more
- S.J.
- Jan 19
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 21
The 98th Academy Awards are scheduled to be presented on March 15, 2026, with the Oscar nominations announcement taking place on January 22, 2026. Shortlists for some categories are announced on December 16, 2025. Below, you can find our predictions in all categories. The movies must have a qualifying run in cinemas (Best International Feature Film and short film categories being the exceptions).
And since we love movies, in addition to the predicted nominees, there are also the ''should be nominated'' shouts and a few additional worthy categories for films, performers and filmmakers that we have seen and would love to see recognised. Browse through them and perhaps you'll also find some help for your own predictions (or something to add to your watchlist).
Last updated: January 19th, 2025
BEST PICTURE
Will Be Nominated
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
It Was Just An Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
The Secret Agent
Train Dreams
Should Be Nominated
28 Years Later
My Sunshine
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirāt
Sorry, Baby
Sovereign
The Plague
Train Dreams
Weapons
BEST DIRECTOR
Will Be Nominated
Chloé Zhao (Hamnet)
Jafar Panahi (It Was Just An Accident)
Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value)
Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
Should Be Nominated
Danny Boyle (28 Years Later)
Oliver Laxe (Sirāt)
Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
Zach Cregger (Weapons)
BEST ACTRESS
Will Be Nominated
Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another)
Emma Stone (Bugonia)
Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value)
Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I'd Kick You)
Should Be Nominated
Alison Brie (Together)
Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another)
Eva Victor (Sorry, Baby)
Hassie Harrison (Dangerous Animals)
Julia Garner (Weapons)
BEST ACTOR
Will Be Nominated
Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon)
Jesse Plemons (Bugonia)
Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)
Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme)
Should Be Nominated
Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams)
Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)
Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Nick Offerman (Sovereign)
Robert Pattinson (Mickey 17)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Will Be Nominated
Amy Madigan (Weapons)
Emily Watson (Hamnet)
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value)
Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another)
Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners)
Should Be Nominated
Amy Madigan (Weapons)
Jodie Comer (28 Years Later)
Kerry Condon (Train Dreams)
Regina Hall (One Battle After Another)
Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Will Be Nominated
Benicio del Toro (One Battle After Another)
Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein)
Paul Mescal (Hamnet)
Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)
Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value)
Should Be Nominated
Austin Abrams (Weapons)
Jack O'Connell (Sinners)
Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein)
Ralph Fiennes (28 Years Later)
Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Will Be Nominated
It Was Just An Accident (Jafar Panahi)
Marty Supreme (Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein)
Sentimental Value (Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier)
Sinners (Ryan Coogler)
The Secret Agent (Kleber Mendonça Filho)
Should Be Nominated
My Sunshine (Okuyama Hiroshi)
Sinners (Ryan Coogler)
Sorry, Baby (Eva Victor)
Sovereign (Christian Swegal)
Weapons (Zach Cregger)
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Will Be Nominated
Bugonia (Will Tracy)
Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro)
Hamnet (Chloé Zhao, Maggie O'Farrell)
One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Train Dreams (Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar)
Should Be Nominated
28 Years Later (Alex Garland)
Final Destination Bloodlines (Guy Busick, Lori Evans Taylor)
One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson)
The Naked Gun (Akiva Schaffer, Dan Gregor, Doug Mand)
Train Dreams (Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar)
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM*
Will Be Nominated
It Was Just An Accident (France)
Sentimental Value (Norway)
Sirāt (Spain)
The Secret Agent (Brazil)
The Voice Of Hind Rajab (Tunisia)
Should Be Nominated
All That's Left Of You (Jordan)
Happy Birthday (Egypt)
Peacock (Austria)
Sirāt (Spain)
The Wolves Always Come At Night (Australia)
*+ My Sunshine (Japan)
*This category needs an overhaul immediately, starting with giving the award to the director(s) and producer(s) instead of the country, and changing the submission system so that films won't be excluded for political reasons.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Will Be Nominated
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters*
Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain
Zootopia 2
Should Be Nominated
Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain
Lost In Starlight*
The Bad Guys 2
*These films were seemingly straight-to-streaming releases so they shouldn't qualify here.
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
Will Be Nominated
2000 Meters To Andriivka
Cover-Up
Cutting Through Rocks
My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air In Moscow
The Perfect Neighbor
Should Be Nominated
The Perfect Neighbor
The Wolves Always Come At Night
BEST CASTING
Will Be Nominated
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Weapons
Should Be Nominated
Sinners
Sirāt
The Plague
Urchin
Weapons
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Will Be Nominated
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams
Should Be Nominated
28 Years Later
Ballad Of A Small Player
My Sunshine
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Will Be Nominated
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Hedda
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Should Be Nominated
Frankenstein
Mickey 17
Sinners
The Ugly Stepsister
Train Dreams
BEST FILM EDITING
Will Be Nominated
F1
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Should Be Nominated
Final Destination Bloodlines
One Battle After Another
Sorry, Baby
The Naked Gun
Weapons
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Will Be Nominated
Frankenstein
Kokuho
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
Wicked: For Good
Should Be Nominated
28 Years Later
Frankenstein
Sinners
The Ugly Stepsister
Weapons
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Will Be Nominated
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Should Be Nominated
28 Years Later
Ballad Of A Small Player
Frankenstein
Mickey 17
Sinners
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Will Be Nominated
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Should Be Nominated
28 Years Later
Mickey 17
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirāt
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Will Be Nominated
Diane Warren's latest beg for mercy (Diane Warren: Relentless)
'Girl In The Bubble' (Wicked: For Good)
'Golden' (KPop Demon Hunters)
'I Lied To You' (Sinners)
'Train Dreams' (Train Dreams)
Should Be Nominated
'I Lied To You' (Sinners)
'Highest 2 Lowest' (Highest 2 Lowest)
BEST SOUND
Will Be Nominated
Avatar: Fire And Ash
F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Should Be Nominated
28 Years Later
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirāt
The Lost Bus
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Will Be Nominated
Avatar: Fire And Ash
F1
Sinners
Superman
The Lost Bus
Should Be Nominated
Jurassic World Rebirth
Mickey 17
The Electric State
The Lost Bus
Train Dreams
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Will Be Nominated
Butterfly
Éiru
Playing God
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
The Shyness Of Trees
BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM
Will Be Nominated
A Friend Of Dorothy
Beyond Silence
Rock, Paper, Scissors
The Singers
Two People Exchanging Saliva
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
Will Be Nominated
All The Empty Rooms
Armed With Only A Camera
Bad Hostage
On Healing Lands, Birds Perch
The Devil Is Busy
+ Other notable categories for fun, no qualifying run needed
BEST STUNTS AND CHOREOGRAPHY
Should Be Nominated
Dangerous Animals
Havoc
Novocaine
One Battle After Another
Sisu: Road To Revenge
BEST STRAIGHT-TO-STREAMING FILMS
Should Be Nominated
Fréwaka
Lost In Starlight
Predator: Killer Of Killers
The Dead Thing
BEST VOICE OR MOTION CAPTURE PERFORMANCE
Should Be Nominated
Kim Tae-ri (Lost In Starlight)
Loïse Charpentier (Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain)
Sam Rockwell (The Bad Guys 2)
Will Patton (Train Dreams)
