The 2026 Oscar Nominations: A Complete Guide to This Year’s Academy Awards Race

A Historic Morning in Hollywood

The entertainment world turned its attention to the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Los Angeles this Thursday morning as the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences unveiled the nominees for the 98th Academy Awards. In what has become one of Hollywood’s most anticipated annual events, actress Danielle Brooks, herself an Oscar nominee, joined actor Lewis Pullman to announce the contenders across all 24 categories. This year’s nominations carry special significance as they mark a historic expansion of the Academy’s recognition, introducing a brand-new category dedicated to the often-overlooked art of casting. This addition acknowledges the crucial role that casting directors play in bringing films to life, finally giving these behind-the-scenes artists their moment in the spotlight alongside cinematographers, editors, and other craft professionals who have long been honored by the Academy.

The competition this year is particularly fierce, with 317 feature films eligible for consideration across various categories, and 201 films vying specifically for the coveted Best Picture trophy. As the film industry continues to evolve and expand, these numbers reflect both the resilience of cinema and the incredible volume of creative work being produced. The ceremony itself promises to be a memorable affair, with popular comedian and talk show host Conan O’Brien returning for his second consecutive year as host. Scheduled for Sunday, March 15, at the iconic Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the event will be broadcast live on ABC and available for streaming on Hulu starting at 7 p.m. Eastern Time, allowing audiences across the country and around the world to witness Hollywood’s biggest night.

The Best Picture Battleground and Top Acting Honors

The Best Picture category presents a fascinating cross-section of contemporary filmmaking, with ten diverse films competing for the industry’s highest honor. The nominees include “Bugonia,” “F1,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another,” “The Secret Agent,” “Sentimental Value,” “Sinners,” and “Train Dreams.” This eclectic mix spans multiple genres and storytelling approaches, from literary adaptations like “Hamnet” and “Frankenstein” to original narratives such as “Sinners” and “Sentimental Value,” demonstrating the breadth of cinematic excellence achieved this year.

In the acting categories, the competition is equally compelling. The Best Actor race features Timothée Chalamet for “Marty Supreme,” Leonardo DiCaprio for “One Battle After Another,” Ethan Hawke for “Blue Moon,” Michael B. Jordan for “Sinners,” and Wagner Moura for “The Secret Agent.” This lineup represents both established Hollywood legends and contemporary stars at the peak of their powers. Meanwhile, the Best Actress category showcases Jessie Buckley for “Hamnet,” Rose Byrne for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Kate Hudson for “Song Sung Blue,” Renate Reinsve for “Sentimental Value,” and Emma Stone for “Bugonia.” Stone, already an Oscar winner, continues her remarkable run of acclaimed performances, while international talent like Norway’s Reinsve brings global perspective to the competition.

The supporting categories are equally impressive. Best Supporting Actor nominees include Benicio Del Toro for “One Battle After Another,” Jacob Elordi for “Frankenstein,” Delroy Lindo for “Sinners,” Sean Penn for “One Battle After Another,” and Stellan Skarsgård for “Sentimental Value.” The Best Supporting Actress category features Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas both for “Sentimental Value,” Amy Madigan for “Weapons,” Wunmi Mosaku for “Sinners,” and Teyana Taylor for “One Battle After Another,” highlighting performances that enriched already strong ensemble casts.

Behind-the-Scenes Excellence and Technical Achievements

The directing category showcases some of cinema’s most distinctive voices, with Chloé Zhao nominated for “Hamnet,” Josh Safdie for “Marty Supreme,” Paul Thomas Anderson for “One Battle After Another,” Joachim Trier for “Sentimental Value,” and Ryan Coogler for “Sinners.” This group represents a mix of established auteurs and visionary filmmakers who have redefined contemporary cinema. Their nominations reflect not just technical mastery but also unique artistic visions that pushed boundaries and challenged audiences.

The screenplay categories reveal the literary foundations of this year’s strongest films. In Best Adapted Screenplay, nominees include “Bugonia,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “One Battle After Another,” and “Train Dreams,” each representing a successful translation of existing material to the screen. The Best Original Screenplay category honors wholly original visions with “Blue Moon,” “It Was Just an Accident,” “Marty Supreme,” “Sentimental Value,” and “Sinners,” celebrating writers who created entirely new worlds and characters. These nominations underscore the fundamental importance of strong writing in creating memorable cinema.

Technical categories demonstrate the incredible craftsmanship that goes into modern filmmaking. The Best Cinematography nominees—”Frankenstein,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another,” “Sinners,” and “Train Dreams”—likely feature stunning visual storytelling. Best Film Editing recognizes “F1,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another,” “Sentimental Value,” and “Sinners,” honoring those who shaped raw footage into compelling narratives. The Best Visual Effects category spans from big-budget spectacles like “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and “Jurassic World Rebirth” to more contained achievements in “F1,” “The Lost Bus,” and “Sinners,” showing how effects serve stories of all scales.

Design, Music, and the New Casting Category

Production Design, Costume Design, and Makeup and Hairstyling categories celebrate the artists who create the visual worlds audiences inhabit during films. Production Design nominees include “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another,” and “Sinners,” likely featuring everything from period recreations to imaginative fictional environments. Costume Design honors “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” and “Sinners,” with legendary costumer Ruth E. Carter receiving another nomination for her work on “Sinners.” The Makeup and Hairstyling category features “Frankenstein,” “Kokuho,” “Sinners,” “The Smashing Machine,” and “The Ugly Stepsister,” recognizing transformative work that helps actors inhabit their characters.

Musical achievements are celebrated through Best Original Score and Best Original Song categories. The score nominees—”Bugonia,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “One Battle After Another,” and “Sinners”—feature work from celebrated composers including Alexandre Desplat, Max Richter, Jonny Greenwood, and Ludwig Göransson. Best Original Song nominees include “Dear Me” from “Diane Warren: Relentless,” “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters,” “I Lied to You” from “Sinners,” “Sweet Dreams of Joy” from “Viva Verdi!,” and “Train Dreams” from “Train Dreams,” showcasing music that enhanced emotional storytelling.

The historic new Best Casting category recognizes “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another,” “The Secret Agent,” and “Sinners,” finally honoring the professionals who assemble the perfect actors for each role. This addition acknowledges that great performances begin with inspired casting choices, and these nominees represent those who excel at matching talent to character, often discovering new faces or seeing established actors in unexpected roles.

Animation, Documentaries, and International Cinema

The animated categories celebrate both feature-length and short-form storytelling. Best Animated Feature nominees include “Arco,” “Elio,” “KPop Demon Hunters,” “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain,” and “Zootopia 2,” representing diverse animation styles and target audiences. The Best Animated Short Film category features “Butterfly,” “Forevergreen,” “The Girl Who Cried Pearls,” “Retirement Plan,” and “The Three Sisters,” showcasing creativity in condensed formats.

Documentary categories honor non-fiction storytelling at both feature and short lengths. Best Documentary Feature nominees—”The Alabama Solution,” “Come See Me in the Good Light,” “Cutting Through Rocks,” “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” and “The Perfect Neighbor”—tackle diverse subjects from political resistance to personal stories. Best Documentary Short Film features “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,” and “Perfectly a Strangeness,” demonstrating powerful storytelling in brief formats.

The Best International Feature Film category brings global perspectives with nominees from Brazil (“The Secret Agent”), France (“It Was Just an Accident”), Norway (“Sentimental Value”), Spain (“Sirât”), and Tunisia (“The Voice of Hind Rajab”). This category continues to expand American audiences’ exposure to world cinema, recognizing that exceptional filmmaking transcends language and borders. Meanwhile, Best Live Action Short Film rounds out the categories with “Butcher’s Stain,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “A Friend of Dorothy,” “The Singers,” and “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” celebrating concise narrative filmmaking.

Looking Ahead to Oscar Night

As the film industry and movie lovers digest these nominations, the next six weeks will bring intense campaigning, predictions, and debates about who deserves to win. Certain films appear across multiple categories, suggesting strong overall support—”Sinners,” “One Battle After Another,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” and “Marty Supreme” each earned numerous nominations, positioning them as major contenders. The diversity of nominees across categories reflects both the Academy’s evolving membership and the increasingly global, varied nature of contemporary filmmaking.

The addition of the casting category represents more than just another trophy—it signals the Academy’s recognition that filmmaking involves countless artists whose contributions deserve celebration. As streaming platforms, theatrical releases, and diverse production models continue reshaping how films are made and distributed, the Oscars remain cinema’s most prestigious honor, a night when the industry pauses to celebrate its finest achievements. On March 15, when Conan O’Brien takes the stage and envelopes are opened, we’ll discover which of these nominees join Oscar’s permanent legacy. Until then, film enthusiasts have a remarkable collection of nominated works to discover, discuss, and appreciate.