Oscars 2026: Final predictions for best picture, actor and director - who will get nominated
Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be revealed on Thursday ( 22 Jan), and the movies that are predicted to get a nomination this year are: One Battle After Another,Sinners, It Was Just an Accident, Marty Supreme, Hamnet, and Sentimental Value among others.
Oscars 2026 nominations
Here we go again! Before the deserving one picks up the golden trophy, it's time to predict the nominees for this year's ceremony.
The Oscars, the biggest night in cinema, will take place in March. Two months before the big night, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the nominees for the 98th Oscars on Thursday (22 Jan).
Looking at the predictions, frontrunners such as Ryan Coogler’s vampire drama Sinners and Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another are projected to find their place on the list.
Best Picture
If we look at other awards, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, Ryan Coogler’s vampire drama Sinners, and Hamnet are surely going to find a mention in this category. Predicting a winner here is the most difficult job, as anything can happen.
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sentimental Value
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
The Secret Agent
It Was Just An Accident
Train Dreams
Best Director
We already have a fair idea of the names that are likely to find a mention in this category. Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) and Chloé Zhao (Hamnet) are the strongest contenders here, but don’t be surprised if Ryan Coogler takes the trophy for Sinners.
Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
Chloe Zhao (Hamnet)
Guillermo Del Toro (Frankenstein)
Joachim Trier
(Sentimental Value)
Chloe Zhao
(Hamnet)
Best Actor
The three actors who have made the safest entry into this category, and whose nominations would not be surprising are Timothee Chalamet, Michael B. Jordan, and Leonardo DiCaprio. However, don’t be surprised if DiCaprio gets snubbed, much like in 2024 for Killers of the Flower Moon.
Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon)
Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)
Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme)
Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)
Best Actress
This is a trickier one. Last year, Mikey Madison picked up the trophy, beating Demi Moore for her prolific performance in The Substance. Although we usually have a fair idea of who will find a mention in this category, predicting the winner is still tough. One of the strongest contenders this year is Jessie Buckley for Hamnet.
Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You)
Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another)
Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value)
Emma Stone (Bugonia)
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