The road to the Oscars 2026 has begun. The 98th Academy Awards will honour the best films of the last year, including “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “Sinners,” and more. Before Hollywood’s greatest night, nominees gathered at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on February 10 for the annual Oscars luncheon to take their official class photo and interact with one another.
The luncheon served as a reunion, bringing filmmakers and actors together as nominees exchanged congratulations and took in the moment.
With the Oscars just a few weeks away, here’s everything you need to know.
Oscar 2026 Preview and Predictions
The battle for Best Picture appears to be a close one between two front-runners. When Ryan Coogler’s name was announced at the nominees’ luncheon, his film “Sinners” earned the most applause.
The film follows twins Smoke and Stack in 1930s Mississippi and is Michael B. Jordan’s first Oscar nomination for playing both siblings. “One Battle After Another” got significant traction after Paul Thomas Anderson received the Directors Guild of America award.
Critics gave the film the highest Metacritic score of 2025. The film was also Anderson’s most successful box office release to date. After years of nominations and no wins, many feel the Academy will finally award Anderson his first Best Director prize.
Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” received nominations in numerous categories, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Timothée Chalamet has become the youngest actor to receive three acting nominations since Marlon Brando.
He achieved this milestone at the age of 30 with his nomination for “Marty Supreme.” Best Casting will be the 24th competitive category introduced at the 2026 event.
This is the first new category added to the Oscars in years. The move acknowledges the important role that casting directors play in filmmaking.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio del Toro were both nominated for “One Battle After Another.” Their acts at the nominees’ luncheon elicited heated emotions from other Academy members.
Chloé Zhao became only the second woman in history to receive two Best Director nominations, and the first woman of colour to do so.
Ruth E. Carter received her sixth nomination for Best Costume Design, becoming the most nominated Black woman in any Oscar category. Amy Madigan made a milestone with her “Weapons” nomination, which comes 40 years after her first nomination for “Twice in a Lifetime” in 1985.
The competition remains competitive, with films such as “Sentimental Value” and “Marty Supreme” receiving high support across numerous categories. Both films got directing and screenplay nominations, as well as acting nods for their ensemble casts.
The Complete List of Oscar 2026 Nominees
Winners will be highlighted in bold following the event on March 15.
1. Best Picture
- Bugonia
- F1
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- The Secret Agent
- Sentimental Value
- Sinners
- Train Dreams
2. Best Director
- Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
- Ryan Coogler – Sinners
- Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
- Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
- Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
3. 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
4. Best Actress in a Leading Role
- Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
- Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
- Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
- Emma Stone – Bugonia
- Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
5. Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
- Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
- Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
- Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
- Delroy Lindo – Sinners
6. 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
7. Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
- Blue Moon – Robert Kaplow
- It Was Just an Accident – Jafar Panahi with script collaborators Nader Saïvar, Shadmehr Rastin, Mehdi Mahmoudian
- Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
- Sentimental Value – Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier
- Sinners – Ryan Coogler
8. Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
- Bugonia – Will Tracy
- Frankenstein – Guillermo del Toro
- Hamnet – Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell
- One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
- Train Dreams – Clint Bailey and Greg Kwedar
9. Best Animated Feature Film
- Arco
- Elio
- KPop Demon Hunters
- Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
- Zootopia 2
10. Best International Feature Film
- The Secret Agent (Brazil)
- It Was Just an Accident (France)
- Sentimental Value (Norway)
- Sirât (Spain)
- The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia)
11. Best Documentary Feature Film
- The Perfect Neighbor
- The Alabama Solution
- Come See Me in the Good Light
- Cutting Through Rocks
- Mr. Nobody Against Putin
12. 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 a Strangeness
13. Best Live Action Short Film
- Butcher’s Stain
- A Friend of Dorothy
- Jane Austen’s Period Drama
- The Singers
- Two People Exchanging Saliva
14. Best Animated Short Film
- Butterfly
- Forevergreen
- The Girl Who Cried Pearls
- Retirement Plan
- The Three Sisters
15. Best Original Score
- Bugonia – Jerskin Fendrix
- Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
- Hamnet – Max Richter
- One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood
- Sinners – Ludwig Göransson
16. Best Original Song
- “Golden” – KPop Demon Hunters
- “Train Dreams” – Train Dreams
- “Dear Me” – Diane Warren: Relentless
- “I Lied To You” – Sinners
- “Sweet Dreams Of Joy” – Viva Verdi!
17. Best Sound
- F1
- Frankenstein
- One Battle After Another
- Sinners
- Sirât
18. Best Production Design
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- Sinners
19.Best Cinematography
- Frankenstein
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- Sinners
- Train Dreams
20. Best Makeup and Hairstyling
- Frankenstein
- Kokuho
- Sinners
- The Smashing Machine
- The Ugly Stepsister
21. Best Costume Design
- Avatar: Fire and Ash
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- Sinners
22. Best Film Editing
- F1
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- Sentimental Value
- Sinners
23. Best Visual Effects
- Avatar: Fire and Ash
- F1
- Jurassic World Rebirth
- The Lost Bus
- Sinners
24. Best Casting (New Category)
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle After Another
- The Secret Agent
- Sinners
When are the Oscars 2026?
The 98th Oscars 2026 will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Who is hosting the Oscars 2026?
Conan O’Brien is hosting this year’s ceremony for the second time in a row.
In a January interview with “Good Morning America,” the TV presenter and comedian hinted at “a lot of possibilities” for the next show. “Early on, you just develop options for the show: ‘What might we do?’
You have to wait and see which films get nominated and what’s in the zeitgeist, so there will be a lot of late-arriving ideas. “Those are some of the best ideas,” he stated.
Who is Presenting at the Oscars 2026?
Last year’s Oscar
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed last month that Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin, Mikey Madison, and Zoe Saldaña, who won Oscars last year, will return to present this year. Executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan announced Thursday that Will Arnett, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Hathaway, Paul Mescal, and Gwyneth Paltrow will join last year’s victors as presenters.
Other previously announced presenters include Javier Bardem, Chris Evans, Chase Infiniti, Demi Moore, Kumail Nanjiani, and Maya Rudolph. Producers will reveal additional talent as the ceremony approaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is favored to win the Best Actor Oscar in 2026?
If Timothée Chalamet’s fourth nomination leaves him empty-handed at the end of the night, the industry will continue to undervalue young male actors. However, Jordan’s chances of winning an Actor Award are improving.
What movies will be up for the Oscars in 2026?
Oscars 2026 Best Picture Nominees Ranked by Tomatometer
#1. The Secret Agent (2025) 98%
#2. Sinners (2025) 97%
#3. Sentimental Value (2025) 96%
#4. Train Dreams (2025) 94%
#5. One Battle After Another (2025) 94%
#6. Marty Supreme (2025) 93%
#7. Bugonia (2025) 88%
#8. Hamnet (2025) 86%
How to watch the Oscars 2026?
On March 15, the Oscars will air on ABC beginning at 7 p.m. ET. If you have not cut the cord, you can watch the show on cable or over-the-air television. Do you have Hulu? Subscribers can watch the show live without paying for the expensive live TV package.
Who will present the Oscars in 2026?
Will Arnett, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Hathaway, Paul Mescal, and Gwyneth Paltrow will present at the 98th Academy Awards®, executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan announced today.
