2026 Oscar nominations predictions: Picture, director, actors, screenplay & more
- S.J.
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 12 hours ago
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: December 1st, 2025
BEST PICTURE
Will Be Nominated
Avatar: Fire And Ash
Frankenstein
Hamnet
It Was Just An Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
The Testament Of Ann Lee
Train Dreams
Should Be Nominated
28 Years Later
Dangerous Animals
My Sunshine
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirāt
Sovereign
The Naked Gun
Together
Weapons
BEST DIRECTOR
Will Be Nominated
Chloé Zhao (Hamnet)
Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein)
Jafar Panahi (It Was Just An Accident)
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
Amanda Seyfried (The Testament Of Ann Lee)
Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another)
Cynthia Erivo (Wicked: For Good)
Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value)
Should Be Nominated
Alison Brie (Together)
Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another)
Hassie Harrison (Dangerous Animals)
Julia Garner (Weapons)
Odessa Young (The Damned)
BEST ACTOR
Will Be Nominated
Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon)
Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams)
Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)
Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme)
Should Be Nominated
Alfie Williams (28 Years Later)
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)
Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good)
Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value)
Emily Watson (Hamnet)
Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another)
Should Be Nominated
Amy Madigan (Weapons)
Jodie Comer (28 Years Later)
Regina Hall (One Battle After Another)
Tatiana Maslany (The Monkey)
Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Will Be Nominated
Adam Sandler (Jay Kelly)
Benicio del Toro (One Battle After Another)
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)
Weapons (Zach Cregger)
Should Be Nominated
Dangerous Animals (Nick Lepard)
My Sunshine (Okuyama Hiroshi)
Sinners (Ryan Coogler)
Sovereign (Christian Swegal)
Weapons (Zach Cregger)
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Will Be Nominated
Bugonia (Will Tracy)
Hamnet (Chloé Zhao, Maggie O'Farrell)
One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Train Dreams (Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar)
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Rian Johnson)
Should Be Nominated
28 Years Later (Alex Garland)
Final Destination Bloodlines (Guy Busick, Lori Evans Taylor)
One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Superman (James Gunn)
The Naked Gun (Akiva Schaffer, Dan Gregor, Doug Mand)
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
The Bad Guys 2
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
Will Be Nominated
2000 Meters To Andriivka
Apocalypse In The Tropics
Cover-Up
Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk
The Perfect Neighbor
Should Be Nominated
The Perfect Neighbor
The Wolves Always Come At Night
BEST CASTING
Will Be Nominated
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Should Be Nominated
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirāt
Superman
Weapons
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Will Be Nominated
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams
Should Be Nominated
28 Years Later
Ballad Of A Small Player
My Sunshine
One Battle After Another
Weapons
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Will Be Nominated
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Sinners
The Testament Of Ann Lee
Wicked: For Good
Should Be Nominated
Frankenstein
Mickey 17
One Battle After Another
Sinners
The Ugly Stepsister
BEST FILM EDITING
Will Be Nominated
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Should Be Nominated
Dangerous Animals
Final Destination Bloodlines
One Battle After Another
The Naked Gun
Weapons
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Will Be Nominated
Frankenstein
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
Wicked: For Good
Wolf Man
Should Be Nominated
28 Years Later
Frankenstein
Sinners
The Ugly Stepsister
Weapons
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Will Be Nominated
Avatar: Fire And Ash
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Wicked: For Good
Should Be Nominated
28 Years Later
Ballad Of A Small Player
Frankenstein
Mickey 17
Sinners
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Will Be Nominated
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
The Testament Of Ann Lee
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)
'Dream As One' (Avatar: Fire And Ash)
'Girl In The Bubble' (Wicked: For Good)
'Golden' (KPop Demon Hunters)
'I Lied To You' (Sinners)
Should Be Nominated
'I Lied To You' (Sinners)
'Highest 2 Lowest' (Highest 2 Lowest)
'?' (?)
'?' (?)
'?' (?)
BEST SOUND
Will Be Nominated
Avatar: Fire And Ash
F1
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
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
Predator: Badlands
Superman
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Should Be Nominated
Jurassic World Rebirth
Mickey 17
The Electric State
The Lost Bus
Together
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Will Be Nominated
Coming soon
BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM
Will Be Nominated
Coming soon
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
Will Be Nominated
Coming soon
+ Other notable categories for fun, no qualifying run needed
BEST STUNTS AND CHOREOGRAPHY
Should Be Nominated
Coming soon
BEST STRAIGHT-TO-STREAMING FILMS
Should Be Nominated
Coming soon
BEST VOICE OR MOTION CAPTURE PERFORMANCE
Should Be Nominated
Coming soon
