Who will win, could win and should win the 2026 Oscars, and who should have been nominated this year? Here are our predictions for the 98th Academy Awards!
The wait is over: the 2026 Oscars are here, and we’ve made our predictions for this year’s race! Who will win, could win, and should win at the 98th Academy Awards, and who should have been nominated? The Loud and Clear Reviews team makes some predictions to try and guess this year’s winners!
Below are the 24 categories, including this year’s newly introduced “Best Casting”, with all the nominees and our picks for who will, could and should win the Oscars on March 15, 2026! Don’t forget to scroll till the end to download our Oscars 2026 printable .pdf ballot sheet!
Do you agree with our picks? Let us know on social media!
Best Picture
- Bugonia
- F1: The Movie
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- The Secret Agent
- Sentimental Value
- Sinners
- Train Dreams
This Best Picture race has come down to two films: Ryan Coogler’s electric vampire horror musical Sinners and Paul Thomas Anderson’s incredible contemporary thriller One Battle After Another. Two Warner Bros films that would make for an excellent winner, regardless of who ultimately wins. And honestly, it’s really tough to call. For me, OBAA’s recent wins at the DGA and PGA awards give it the edge here. However, do not be shocked if Sinners (which just won the main award at SAG’s Actor Awards) is victorious.
The rest of this category is very strong, with honorable mentions going to Hamnet (a previous Best Picture favorite) and Sentimental Value. It would be even better if Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident had managed to sneak onto the list. That would have meant three international Best Picture nominees for the first time. (Daniel Allen)
- Will Win: One Battle After Another
- Could Win: Sinners
- Should Win: Either One Battle After Another or Sinners
- Should’ve Been Nominated: It Was Just An Accident
Achievement in Directing
- Paul Thomas Anderson — One Battle After Another
- Ryan Coogler — Sinners
- Josh Safdie — Marty Supreme
- Joachim Trier — Sentimental Value
- Chloé Zhao — Hamnet
Is this the year Paul Thomas Anderson wins his first Academy Award? Considering how many wins PTA has gathered across this season’s award circuit (including a BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, and Golden Globe), it looks extremely likely. Not only this, but Anderson’s direction in One Battle After Another is flawless, helping to tie together this breathless and raging modern satire into something cohesive and unforgettable.
One Battle After Another is a frontrunner for Best Picture, which also helps, and it’s one of its main competitors in that category that should also be Anderson’s biggest challenger here. Ryan Coogler’s direction for the immersive and unique horror Sinners is irresistibly stylish; Coogler also magnificently handles the film’s many thematic commentaries at play.
The remaining three directors here—Josh Safdie, Joachim Trier, and Chloé Zhao—are all more than worthy nominees, but it would be a surprise to see anyone other than Anderson or Coogler take home the coveted Best Director statuette.
He was never even a remote possibility for nomination, but Bi Gan’s direction of Resurrection is a rare feat of masterful technical innovation and bold bucking of cinematic conventions. In an ideal world, Bi would sweep up all the awards for this miraculous cinematic achievement. (William Stottor)
- Will Win: Paul Thomas Anderson — One Battle After Another
- Could Win: Ryan Coogler — Sinners
- Should Win: Paul Thomas Anderson — One Battle After Another
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Bi Gan — Resurrection
Best Actor in a Leading Role
- Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
- Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
- Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
- Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
- Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
Even though Timothée Chalamet has been campaigning hard for a Best Actor win, this category could prove to be a bit harder to predict than expected. Chalamet’s turn as Marty Mauser in Marty Supreme is one for the ages, but Wagner Moura is both powerful and subtle in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent. Elsewhere, there’s more competition in the form of Michael B. Jordan in an impressive double role in the excellent Sinners, especially since his recent win at the Actors’ Awards. Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance in One Battle After Another could be a well-deserved win, and Blue Moon has unfortunately garnered little buzz despite featuring a memorable turn by Ethan Hawke, which makes it pretty much impossible for the latter to win the award. The competition is fierce, but I still think Chalamet will probably win. (Sebastian Zavala)
- Will Win: Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
- Could Win: Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
- Should Win: Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Jesse Plemons – Bugonia
Best Actress in a Leading Role
- Jessie Buckley — Hamnet
- Rose Byrne — If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
- Kate Hudson — Song Sung Blue
- Renate Reinsve — Sentimental Value
- Emma Stone — Bugonia
The frontrunners for Best Actress in a Leading Role both star in movies that enthralled some viewers and alienated others, due to their subject matter and storytelling style. Hamnet, which scored 8 nominations at this year’s Oscars, is an heart wrenching drama about grief and sorrow that will reward those who are willing to be drawn into the protagonist’s state of mind. Likewise, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You aims to make you as miserable and uncomfortable as its lead for its entire duration. Both film are helmed by incredible performances, and Jessie Buckley and Rose Byrne are equally worthy of the Award, but based on this year’s race, the former is the frontrunner.
Personally, I would like to see Rose Byrne win, even more so since this is her first nomination. The same can be said of the ever-excellent Renate Reinsve, though Sentimental Value didn’t let her fully showcase her skills. Emma Stone, on the other hand, gives a tour-de-force of a performance in Bugonia, but the star won two Oscars (for La La Land and Poor Things), so a win for her feels unlikely. And then there’s Kate Hudson, scoring her second nomination since Almost Famous, but her work in Song Sung Blue doesn’t quite match up to the rest of the nominees. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance in Die My Love does, though, and so do Cynthia Erivo’s and Chase Infiniti’s in Wicked: For Good and One Battle After Another. Sadly, none of them were nominated this year. (Serena Seghedoni)
- Will Win: Jessie Buckley — Hamnet
- Could Win: Rose Byrne — If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
- Should Win: Rose Byrne — If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Jennifer Lawrence — Die My Love
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Benicio del Toro — One Battle After Another
- Jacob Elordi — Frankenstein
- Delroy Lindo — Sinners
- Sean Penn — One Battle After Another
- Stellan Skarsgård — Sentimental Value
This year’s acting categories are surprisingly difficult to predict—beyond Best Actress—with several possible candidates emerging in each lineup. In Best Supporting Actor, it seems to be a three horse race. Stellan Skarsgård and Sean Penn have cemented themselves as the critical favorites for their performances in One Battle After Another and Sentimental Value, respectively. Skarsgård took home the Golden Globe, while Sean Penn found victory at the BAFTAs and SAG Awards—which is typically seen as the most important precursor for the acting categories.
However, we equally shouldn’t forget Jacob Elordi’s win at the Critics Choice Awards in January. It feels like his momentum has definitely slowed down in recent weeks, and his chances are also hurt by the underperformance of Frankenstein in other categories, but he remains a legitimate contender. He doesn’t have as much momentum as his leading nominees, but he has the industry credibility and relevant precursors to at least stand a chance. (Jack Walters)
- Will Win: Sean Penn — One Battle After Another
- Could Win: Stellan Skarsgård — Sentimental Value
- Should Win: Sean Penn — One Battle After Another
- Should’ve Been Nominated:
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- Elle Fanning — Sentimental Value
- Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas — Sentimental Value
- Amy Madigan — Weapons
- Wunmi Mosaku — Sinners
- Teyana Taylor — One Battle After Another
Despite being often unbalanced, it seems like this year all the nominees in the Best Supporting Actress category are actually supporting, with a total of about 20 to 30 minutes of screentime each in their respective films. This has not always been the case as Best Supporting Actress nominees tend to sometimes be co-protagonists instead, like last year with Wicked or Emilia Pérez. Unlike some other races who are set in stone, this category is not so clear based on the other award ceremonies earlier in the year: both Wunmi Mosaku and Teyana Taylor seem to have a good shot at the Oscar, with the former having a slight edge thank to the Academy’s love for Sinners.
Unfortunately, there always seem to be some key performances in fantastic films that miss out on an Oscar nomination. This year, I would have loved to see Frankenstein receive more love in the mainstream categories. In particular, Mia Goth should have received more praise during the entire 2026 award season for her performance in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein: not only she delivers an emotional and layered portrayal of Elizabeth but she also played two roles in this film. (Clotilde Chinnici)
- Will Win: Wunmi Mosaku — Sinners
- Could Win: Teyana Taylor — One Battle After Another
- Should Win: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas — Sentimental Value
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Mia Goth — Frankenstein
Best Original Screenplay
- Blue Moon — Robert Kaplow
- It Was Just an Accident — Jafar Panahi; Script collaborators: Nader Saïvar, Shadmehr Rastin, Mehdi Mahmoudian
- Marty Supreme — Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie
- Sentimental Value — Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
- Sinners — Ryan Coogler
Every single one of these nominees deserves to be on this list, but there’s a clear favorite here and it’s Sinners. Ryan Coogler won the Best Original Screenplay Award at the BAFTAs, Critics Choice Awards, and WGAs earlier this year, and it would make sense for Coogler to win the Oscar, even more so since the Best Picture frontrunner, One Battle After Another, isn’t nominated in this category. And given the stunning epic that Sinner is, the writer-director fully deserves the win.
If Sinner doesn’t win, my personal favorite would be the underrated Blue Moon, where screenwriter Robert Kaplow’s work is more subtle but just as effective. Still, the Academy would more likely pick Marty Supreme, Sentimental Value, or It Was Just an Accident. But Kleber Mendonça Filho’s outstanding The Secret Agent absolutely deserved to be nominated too. (Serena Seghedoni)
- Will Win: Sinners — Ryan Coogler
- Could Win: Sentimental Value — Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
- Should Win: Sinners — Ryan Coogler
- Should’ve Been Nominated: The Secret Agent — Kleber Mendonça Filho
Best Adapted Screenplay
- 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
Adapted Screenplay recognizes the brilliant writing behind some of this year’s best films that are based on previously existing material, like a play, a novel, or even another film. This year, the nominees are particularly exciting as they spotlight various genres and different movies, some of which, like Train Dreams, did not get much attention in the other categories at the Oscars. Hamnet and Frankenstein are two notable mentions as excellent adaptations of their respective source material. On the one hand, Hamnet perfectly captures the heartbreaking story of a mother’s grief, intertwined with the writing of one of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays. On the other, Frankenstein has to reconcile with many previous adaptations of Mary Shelley’s famous novel.
However, it is extremely likely for Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another to win the Oscar instead. Similarly to some other categories, Best Adapted Screenplay seems to be an easy guess this year, with One Battle After Another winning virtually every other award in this category, including the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs, and most recently the WGA. It would have been nice to see at least one non-English language film recognized for its screenplay, especially one as well-written as No Other Choice, a South-Korean black comedy thriller co-written, produced, and directed by Park Chan-wook. (Clotilde Chinnici)
- Will Win: One Battle After Another
- Could Win: Hamnet
- Should Win: Frankenstein
- Should’ve Been Nominated: No Other Choice
Best Animated Feature
The Best Animated Film category tends to be pretty predictable, but this year it feels a bit more interesting. KPop Demon Hunters is the safest bet, as it is both extremely popular and a critical darling, as well as one of the favourites for the Best Song category. But Disney’s Zootopia 2 proved to be a winner late last year, both with audiences and critics. Arco, for its part, is an interesting underdog, while Little Amélie… could unfortunately be perceived as a rather obscure choice. The only outlier is Pixar’s Elio, one of the veteran production company’s least intriguing offerings as of late. For my money, KPop Demon Hunters is the clear winner, but both Zootopia 2 and Arco could end up surprising more than one cinephile. (Sebastian Zavala)
- Will Win: KPop Demon Hunters
- Could Win: Zootopia 2
- Should Win: KPop Demon Hunters
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Ne Zha 2
Best Casting
- Hamnet — Nina Gold
- Marty Supreme — Jennifer Venditti
- One Battle After Another — Cassandra Kulukundis
- The Secret Agent — Gabriel Domingues
- Sinners — Francine Maisler
Best Casting will be the first new category added to the Oscars since 2001, when the awards introduced a Best Animated Feature category, and it’s that unknown quality to it that makes it one of the most fascinating races to watch this award season. The question ultimately comes down to whether or not voters will just value how good the cast was (like we’d see in a typical Best Ensemble type of award) or if they will really consider the work of the Casting Director in finding the right people for each part.
This year, the Academy has recognized five great ensembles that shine not only because of the established big name stars leading each film but also because of the breakout performances that came from the casting directors’ excellent work. Since it’s a new category, there is no history to go off at the Oscars, but we have had a few precursor awards with Casting honors being given at the Casting Society of America, BAFTA, and the Critics Choice Awards this year. So far, Sinners has been the only nominated film to have won in those precursors — picking up wins at CCA and CSA — which puts it in the driver’s seat heading into what could be a massive Oscar night for Ryan Coogler’s film.
If it wins, I do think Francine Maisler’s work in casting would be well deserving of the honor. With the discovery of Miles Caton, as well as the casting of performers like Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, and everyone else at the heart of the ensemble around Michael B. Jordan’s leading turns, there’s plenty of reason to believe Sinners was the best casting of the year and would be a fantastic first winner. (Michael Carvelli)
- Will Win: Sinners
- Could Win: One Battle After Another
- Should Win: Sinners
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Weapons
Best Cinematography
- Frankenstein — Dan Laustsen
- Marty Supreme — Darius Khondji
- One Battle After Another — Michael Bauman
- Sinners — Autumn Durald Arkapaw
- Train Dreams — Adolpho Veloso
This year’s Best Cinematography Oscar is a stacked category featuring a handful of nominees that feel like they would have been a frontrunners in other years. But ultimately, like I feel will be the case in many categories on Oscar night, it’s going to come down to a showdown between One Battle After Another and Sinners.
Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s work in Sinners has earned her a large majority of the awards handed out by critics throughout the season (although Adolpho Veloso won at Critics Choice for Train Dreams), and that helped her make history by becoming the first woman of color nominated for the Oscar. But it’s been Michael Bauman and One Battle After Another that have taken home the top prizes at both the American and British Society of Cinematographers and at BAFTA. The most recent win for Bauman came on Monday at ASC, and dating back to 2010 all but four films that have won with the organization have gone on to win the Oscar.
And while it does appear that One Battle After Another is the favorite here, you could maybe see a well-deserving Train Dreams upset. But it’s far more likely that this could be one of the races we end up looking back on throughout the night that will help us realize who is gaining the momentum to take home Best Picture. (Michael Carvelli)
- Will Win: One Battle After Another
- Could Win: Sinners or Train Dreams
- Should Win: Train Dreams
- Should’ve Been Nominated: 28 Years Later
Best Costume Design
- Avatar: Fire and Ash — Deborah L. Scott
- Frankenstein — Kate Hawley
- Hamnet — Malgosia Turzanska
- Marty Supreme — Miyako Bellizzi
- Sinners — Ruth E. Carter
We once again have a Costume Design category this year that showcases a wide range of aesthetics and artistic approaches, sweeping through fantasy worlds, gothic horrors and stylish period storytelling. From the intricate designs in Avatar: Fire and Ash to the dark and atmospheric Victorian work in Frankenstein, as well as the historically grounded work of Hamnet or the vibrant period styles of Marty Supreme and bold, character-defining looks of Sinners, it’s a category that highlights how costume design can shape the visual identity of a film and the stories its characters inhabit.
Ruth E. Carter has a chance to become just the 12th person with three Best Costume Design wins in Oscar history for her work in Sinners, and depending on how you feel about the chances of Sinners coming in and sweeping at this year’s show, there is definitely a shot that she can come in and pull off an upset. However, it does appear that this is a race that is Frankenstein’s to lose as we get closer to the Academy Awards. First-time nominee Kate Hawley has won at the Costume Designers Guild, as well as at BAFTA and the Critics Choice Awards, and should be able to pick up the victory here unless we see a late boost for Sinners carry over into the category. (Michael Carvelli)
- Will Win: Frankenstein
- Could Win: Sinners
- Should Win: Sinners
- Should’ve Been Nominated: The Phoenician Scheme
Best Film Editing
- F1: The Movie — Stephen Mirrione
- Marty Supreme — Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
- One Battle After Another — Andy Jurgensen
- Sentimental Value — Olivier Bugge Coutté
- Sinners — Michael P. Shawver
While there were no huge surprises in the Best Film Editing lineup, that doesn’t necessarily make it any easier to predict the winner. Action movies typically do well in this category, which swings in favour of F1—but it also tends to line up with Best Picture quite frequently, which gives the edge to One Battle After Another or Sinners. The only two films that don’t feasibly stand a chance here are Sentimental Value and Marty Supreme.
Best Editing also has a habit of lining up neatly with Best Sound, where F1 definitely has the upper hand this year. Joseph Kosinski’s action movie definitely feels like it has the most noteworthy and impressive editing, but the Academy also likes to reward subtle, less overt editing sometimes. Ultimately, F1 feels like the obvious choice, but Sinners and One Battle After Another could easily add this award to their inevitably large hauls. (Jack Walters)
- Will Win: F1: The Movie
- Could Win: One Battle After Another
- Should Win: Marty Supreme
- Should’ve Been Nominated: No Other Choice
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
- Frankenstein – Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, and Cliona Furey
- Kokuho – Kyoko Toyokawa, Naomi Hibino, and Tadashi Nishimatsu
- Sinners – Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, and Shunika Terry
- The Smashing Machine – Kazu Hiro, Glen Griffin, and Bjoern Rehbein
- The Ugly Stepsister – Thomas Foldberg and Anne Cathrine Sauerberg
Best Makeup can be a difficult category to predict, since the award is not always given to the most deserving nominees. Nevertheless, I wish with all my heart for The Ugly Stepsister to win, not only because it features some impressive makeup work, but also because it’s a pretty great and underseen movie from Norway. On the other hand, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein has the best chances, since the work done to transform Jacob Elordi into the titular monster is pretty much perfect.
Elsewhere, Sinners has some interesting vampiric makeup effects, The Smashing Machine manages to make Dwayne Johnson look almost unrecognisable, and Lee Sang-il’s Kokuho is an interesting outlier, featuring the most historically accurate and believable makeup work from the bunch. The latter doesn’t have a chance; I would love for The Ugly Stepsister to take home the award, but the most probable winner is Frankenstein, which would actually be well-deserved. (Sebastian Zavala)
- Will Win: Frankenstein
- Could Win: Sinners
- Should Win: The Ugly Stepsister
- Should’ve Been Nominated: 28 Years Later
Best Production Design
- Frankenstein — Production Design: Tamara Deverell; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau
- Hamnet — Production Design: Fiona Crombie; Set Decoration: Alice Felton
- Marty Supreme — Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis
- One Battle After Another — Production Design: Florencia Martin; Set Decoration: Anthony Carlino
- Sinners — Production Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Monique Champagne
There are plenty of exciting, creative choices in the Best Production Design category this year, but one that stands head and shoulders above the rest: Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. The film is built around its production design, with lavish set pieces and complex practical effects that definitely deserve recognition here. Again, Sinners and One Battle After Another feel like the only two movies that could upset due to their Best Picture chances, but this is a clear opportunity to reward one of the year’s most impressive production feats. (Jack Walters)
- Will Win: Frankenstein
- Could Win: Sinners
- Should Win: Frankenstein
- Should’ve Been Nominated: The Testament of Ann Lee
Best Sound
- F1: The Movie — Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo and Juan Peralta
- Frankenstein — Greg Chapman, Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke and Brad Zoern
- One Battle After Another — José Antonio García, Christopher Scarabosio and Tony Villaflor
- Sinners — Chris Welcker, Benjamin A. Burtt, Felipe Pacheco, Brandon Proctor and Steve Boeddeker
- Sirāt — Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas and Yasmina Praderas
F1 triumphed in this category at the BAFTAs a couple of weeks ago, and it’s hard to argue that the racing blockbuster isn’t the favorite here. However, it would be really cool if Oliver Laxe’s apocalyptic rave movie Sirāt picked up this award. One of its most praised aspects was the sound design, full of pounding and nerve-shredding bass. It would be a delightfully unorthodox choice in a category that sometimes goes for smaller films with ear-catching sound (see past winners Sound of Metal and The Zone of Interest).
Elsewhere, Sinners has a possible chance at winning if the film sweeps most of the other categories. And it is a shame that Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning missed out here, as it did in every other category. (Daniel Allen)
- Will Win: F1: The Movie
- Could Win: Sinners
- Should Win: Sirāt
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Best Visual Effects
- Avatar: Fire and Ash
- F1
- Jurassic World Rebirth
- Sinners
- The Lost Bus
Visual Effects is an incredibly strong category this year, although it’s hard to see anything other than Avatar: Fire and Ash winning, which would mirror the achievement of both previous films in the franchise. To be fair, even 17 years on from the first film, the visual effects of Avatar: Fire and Ash are still breathtaking, both in their beauty and their scope. The groundbreaking performance capture is still a joy to behold and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Wētā FX walk away with what would be their eighth Oscar.
Films like F1 and Sinners boast very impressive VFX work to create engaging environments and hair-raising excitement, whilst The Lost Bus impressively recreates the horror of the 2018 California wildfire through realistic fire and smoke effects and environmental building. Jurassic World Rebirth was the first film in the Jurassic Park franchise since The Lost World (1997) to receive any Oscar nomination, but Superman can surely feel hard done by on this decision. (William Stottor)
- Will Win: Avatar: Fire and Ash
- Could Win: F1: The Movie
- Should Win: Avatar: Fire and Ash
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Superman
Best Original Score
- Bugonia — Jerskin Fendrix
- Frankenstein — Alexandre Desplat
- Hamnet — Max Richter
- One Battle After Another — Jonny Greenwood
- Sinners — Ludwig Göransson
Another category, another likely faceoff between One Battle After Another and Sinners. This might be one battle too many for the former though—the latter looks increasingly likely to scoop up what would remarkably be Ludwig Göransson’s third Academy Award following Black Panther (2018) and Oppenheimer (2023).
Göransson would be a hugely deserved winner for Sinners. It’s a blues-inflected original score that is as immersive as the film itself, a composition that is perfectly in sync with the on-screen visuals. It has all the best notions of a horror film score, whilst also paying tribute to the African American and Irish influences on Sinners.
Jonny Greenwood continues his awesome collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson with splendid results. His score is a jangling, nerve-wracking amalgamation of strings, percussion, and drums. Again, like Sinners, it is a score perfectly in tune with its film’s tone and style.
A special mention must go to Sirāt and Kangding Ray’s unforgettable techno rave music, which should have been nominated over more forgettable, conventional entries such as Frankenstein. (William Stottor)
- Will Win: Sinners — Ludwig Göransson
- Could Win: One Battle After Another — Jonny Greenwood
- Should Win: One Battle After Another — Jonny Greenwood
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Sirāt — Kangding Ray
Best Original Song
- “Dear Me” — Diane Warren: Relentless (Diane Warren)
- “Golden” — KPop Demon Hunters (EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park)
- “I Lied To You” — Sinners (Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson)
- “Sweet Dreams Of Joy” — Viva Verdi! (Nicholas Pike)
- “Train Dreams” — Train Dreams (Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner)
It looks like Diane Warren might have to wait for her 18th nomination to finally win her long overdue Award, but this year the competition is particularly strong. The favorite is the song we’ve all been obsessing over ever since KPop Demon Hunters‘s release: “Golden”, from EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park. But the Academy might surprise us and go for Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson’s “I Lied To You” from Sinners, an equally beloved tune by audiences. Still, it does feel like one song is missing: “Clothed By the Sun” from The Testament of Ann Lee, one of the movies with the strongest soundtrack this year. (Serena Seghedoni)
- Will Win: “Golden” — KPop Demon Hunters
- Could Win: “I Lied To You” — Sinners
- Should Win: “Golden” — KPop Demon Hunters
- Should’ve Been Nominated: “Clothed By the Sun” — The Testament of Ann Lee
Best Documentary Feature
- The Alabama Solution
- Come See Me in the Good Light
- Cutting Through Rocks
- Mr Nobody Against Putin
- The Perfect Neighbor
The Perfect Neighbor is an interesting case. On one hand, Geeta Gandbhir’s film uses police bodycam and CCTV footage very effectively, piecing it together for an examination of Stand Your Ground laws in the USA and the tragic consequences of bitter neighborly disputes. On the other hand, as many have stated, it does feel more than a little exploitative, which makes it uncomfortable to watch.
It is still the likely winner of this year’s Best Documentary Feature. However, BAFTA winner Mr Nobody Against Putin has a chance with its informative look into a Russian school as the war in Ukraine develops and the acts of resistance from one teacher. Laura Poitras’ Cover-Up, her portrait of investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, should have been included among the nominees. (Daniel Allen)
- Will Win: The Perfect Neighbor
- Could Win: Mr Nobody Against Putin
- Should Win: Mr Nobody Against Putin
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Cover-Up
Best International Feature Film
- Sentimental Value
- The Voice of Hind Rajab
- The Secret Agent
- It Was Just an Accident
- Sirāt
Much like in previous years, the International Feature Film category always spotlights some wonderful movies who all deserve the recognition and attention that comes with an Oscar nomination. This year, I can’t help but feel that some of these are even more deserving of this than some of the films nominated in the other categories. It is a shame that most of the non-English films are once again relegated to this single category when they could very well be big players in the rest of the Academy Awards too.
Admittedly, times are finally changing and Sentimental Value has also been nominated in some other important categories too – namely Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress – but I would have loved to see this for the other films nominated for International Feature Film too. Given how rare this is, the fact that Sentimental Value earned nomination in more mainstream categories is a sign of how much the Academy Awards voters liked this film, which bodes well for its chances of winning. However, the Cannes Palme d’Or winner, Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident, may still surprise us. Kaouther Ben Hania’s heartbreaking docufilm The Voice of Hind Rajab is also worth mentioning as a film that definitely deserves more recognition for the monumental piece of cinema that it is. (Clotilde Chinnici)
- Will Win: Sentimental Value
- Could Win: It Was Just An Accident
- Should Win: The Voice of Hind Rajab
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Nouvelle Vague
Best Animated Short Film
- Butterfly
- Forevergreen
- Retirement Plan
- The Girl Who Cried Pearls
- The Three Sisters
The Best Animated Short Film category has a wide range of animation styles on show throughout its five nominees. From the oil painting wonder of Butterfly to the stop-motion of The Girl Who Cried Pearls, there is something for everyone in this year’s list.
Weaker entries such as Forevergreen, whilst by no means bad, play like your average Disney Pixar short—so it’s no surprise to see the Academy honour it. But the real stars of this category are Retirement Plan (the shortest of the lot) and Butterfly. The former, directed by John Kelly and narrated by Domhnall Gleeson, is the shortest of the lot, clocking in at only 8-minutes, but this cheeky film still packs an emotional punch and a lot of comedy. Main character Ray imagines all the things he will do (and things he might skip) once he retires.
Butterfly utilises innovative watercolour-style animations to bring the true story of Alfred Nakache to life, who was a Jewish swimmer whose career was interrupted by the Second World War. It’s a gorgeous, frequently heartbreaking experience, with some of the smoothest transitions of any film, long or short, at this year’s Oscars. (William Stottor)
- Will Win: Butterfly
- Could Win: Retirement Plan
- Should Win: Butterfly
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Playing God
Best Live Action Short Film
- Butcher’s Stain
- A Friend of Dorothy
- Jane Austen’s Period Drama
- The Singers
- Two People Exchanging Saliva
For me, the strongest short out of this year’s nominated five is Two People Exchanging Salvia. This French-language dystopian tale of a world where kissing is banned is the most accomplished nominee, with its high-concept story, all-star cast (Zar Amir, Luana Bajrami, Vicky Krieps as narrator) and monochrome camerawork. It would be the deserving winner, though the pleasant LGBTQ+ story A Friend of Dorothy (starring Miriam Margolyes) is a contender.
As for what should have been nominated, the shortlisted film Extremist tells the true story of a Russian artist jailed for distributing supermarket tags critical of her country’s invasion of Ukraine. It’s a film worth checking out, and you can do so on The New Yorker’s YouTube channel. (Daniel Allen)
- Will Win: Two People Exchanging Saliva
- Could Win: A Friend of Dorothy
- Should Win: Two People Exchanging Saliva
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Extremist
Best Documentary Short Film
- All The Empty Rooms
- Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
- Children No More: “Were and Are Gone”
- The Devil is Busy
- Perfectly as Strangeness
The short film categories are often sadly looked over by the general public, but they are just as important as any other one at the Oscars. In fact, these tend to be quite interesting as they give a spotlight to voices that are potentially not as well established in the film industry, and this helps them gain recognition and even funding for future projects. Similarly to the feature documentary category, Best Documentary Shorts is full of heavy, timely, and political movies that focus on important topics that the audience needs to be aware of or learn more about.
This is true for most of the nominated shorts this year: All the Empty Rooms showcases the empty bedrooms of children who were killed in school shootings and The Devil is Busy focuses on an Atlanta abortion clinic that faces daily threats and danger. Both are pivotal and urgent issues in the United States that have only been exasperated by the Trump administration in recent years. Children No More: Were and Are Gone is also a timely film that speaks out against the war in Gaza and seeks to honour the children killed during the ongoing war. (Clotilde Chinnici)
- Will Win: All the Empty Rooms
- Could Win: The Devil is Busy
- Should Win: Children No More: Were and Are Gone
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Rovina’s Choice
The 98th Academy Awards will take place on on Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 7e|4p! Download our Oscars 2026 printable ballot sheet below to make your own predictions!