The race for the 2026 Academy Awards is officially underway. This year’s list of Oscar nominees reflects a broad and sometimes surprising snapshot of where the film industry stands right now, blending large-scale studio productions with more intimate, auteur-driven projects.
Several films emerged as clear leaders across multiple categories, while others secured more selective recognition that still positions them as serious awards-season players. As always, the nominations offer more than just a preview of potential winners. They reveal shifting industry priorities and evolving audience tastes. Below is a closer look at the key nominees shaping the 2026 Oscars conversation.
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The 2026 Oscar nominations reflect a competitive year across both blockbuster cinema and more traditionally awards-driven releases. Sinners emerged as the clear frontrunner with a record 16 nominations, while One Battle After Another, Frankenstein and Hamnet followed as multi-category contenders.
As the Academy prepares to bring the ceremony to YouTube beginning in 2029, understanding which films and creators currently command attention becomes increasingly relevant. The full list of nominees below offers a snapshot of the projects that resonated most strongly this year, across genres and regions alike.
Best Picture
Bugonia
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams
Best Actress
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)
Best Actor
Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme)
Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)
Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon)
Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)
Best Supporting Actress
Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value)
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value)
Amy Madigan (Weapons)
Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners)
Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another)
Best Supporting Actor
Benicio del Toro (One Battle After Another)
Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein)
Delroy Lindo (Sinners)
Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)
Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value)
Best Director
Chloé Zhao (Hamnet)
Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme)
Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value)
Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
Best Original Screenplay
Blue Moon
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Best Adapted Screenplay
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams
Best International Feature
The Secret Agent (Brazil)
It Was Just an Accident (France)
Sentimental Value (Norway)
Sirāt (Spain)
The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia)
Best Animated Feature
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2
Best Animated Short
Butterfly
Forevergreen
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Retirement Plan
The Three Sisters
Best Documentary Feature
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cutting Through Rocks
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
The Perfect Neighbor
Best Documentary Short
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
Best Original Song
‘Dear Me’ from Diane Warren: Relentless
‘Golden’ from KPop Demon Hunters
‘I Lied To You’ from Sinners
‘Sweet Dreams Of Joy’ from Viva Verdi!
‘Train Dreams’ from Train Dreams
Best Original Score
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Best Cinematography
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams
Best Visual Effects
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Jurassic World Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners
Best Editing
F1
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Best Sound
F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirāt
Best Production Design
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Best Casting
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle after Another
The Secret Agent
Sinners
Best Live Action Short
Butcher’s Stain
A Friend of Dorothy
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
The Singers
Two People Exchanging Saliva
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Frankenstein
Kokuho
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
The Ugly Stepsister
Best Costume Design
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The event will be broadcast live on ABC, with additional digital coverage available via Hulu, continuing the ceremony’s gradual expansion across platforms.