Oscar Nominations 2026
Oscar Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards drop on Thursday, January 22, 2026. That date marks the big reveal after months of buzz, shortlists, and precursor awards heating up the race. Fresh off the December 16, 2025, shortlist announcements in 12 categories, excitement builds as voting wraps up from January 12 to 16.
Films like One Battle After Another, Sinners, and Wicked: For Good dominate multiple shortlists, hinting at frontrunners. The ceremony itself lands on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre, broadcast live on ABC with Conan O'Brien hosting for the second year.
These shortlists narrow hundreds of entries 113 animated shorts, 201 docs, you name it down to tight contenders. Take the International Feature Film category: 15 films from places like India (Homebound), Palestine (Palestine 36), and South Korea (No Other Choice) advanced from 86 countries. It's a snapshot of global cinema pushing boundaries.
FilmUpdates on X highlighted the 2026 Oscars shortlist for International Feature, sharing the latest Academy advancements in this competitive category. The post from @FilmUpdates spotlights key global contenders moving forward after the December 16 announcement, fueling buzz among awards watchers as nominations voting kicks off January 12.
Nominations voting stays secret, tallied by PricewaterhouseCoopers, with all branches opting in after viewing requirements. New rules this year demand members watch every nominee in a category before final votes, tracked via the Academy Screening Room. Even AI guidelines got tweaks, per the Science and Tech Council.
When Do Oscar Nominations Come Out 2026?
Oscar nominations come out on Thursday, January 22, 2026, right after the voting window closes on Friday, January 16. No delays or surprises there it's locked in the Academy's calendar. Preceding that, shortlists hit on December 16, 2025, covering Animated Short, Casting (new category!), Cinematography, and more. Viewings for branches like Casting and Visual Effects start January 9-10 in LA, London, NY, and beyond.
Key dates stack up fast:
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Nominations voting: January 12-16, 2026
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Nominations announcement: January 22, 2026
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Final voting: February (exact dates TBD, but members must view all nominees)
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Oscars ceremony: March 15, 2026, 5-8 PM PT (8:30-11:30 PM ET)
Precursors ramp the tension Critics Choice on January 4, Golden Globes January 11, BAFTAs February 22, SAG Awards March 1. A win there, especially with a killer speech, can sway voters. Remember how Oppenheimer snowballed last time? Same vibe brewing. Shortlists spotlight repeats like Frankenstein (Cinematography, Casting, Makeup) and Avatar: Fire and Ash (Score, Sound, VFX). Songs from Wicked: For Good and Tron: Ares push Original Song forward too. All this sets the stage without spilling full nominee lists yet.
2026 Oscar Predictions
Predictions point to One Battle After Another as a Best Picture lock, potentially sweeping Director (Paul Thomas Anderson overdue after There Will Be Blood) and acting nods. Paul Thomas Anderson's epic, inspired by Thomas Pynchon, blends humor, heart, and timeliness early buzz calls it a big eff-you to the noise. Sinners from Ryan Coogler eyes genre nods, with Michael B. Jordan's dual role as Smokestack twins feeling fresh.
CINEMA 505 on X shared Variety's latest 2026 Best Picture predictions, listing frontrunners like One Battle After Another, A House of Dynamite, Sentimental Value, Wicked: For Good, Secret Agent, Marty Supreme, Frankenstein, Bugonia, Hamnet, and Sinners. The @CINEMA505 post captures the tightening race as shortlists fuel momentum ahead of the January 22 nominations reveal.
Blockbusters flex in tech categories:
| Category | Likely Contenders | Why It Stands Out |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Effects |
Avatar: Fire and Ash, Tron: Ares, Superman |
James Cameron's Pandora spectacle, 3-hour creature chaos VFX gold. |
| Sound |
F1, Wicked: For Good, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning |
Racing roars, musical immersion, stunt mayhem. |
| Original Score |
One Battle After Another (Jonny Greenwood), Sinners (Ludwig Göransson) |
Haunting, pulse-pounding fits for heavyweights. |
Acting races stack deep. Best Actor: Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme ping-pong biopic) vs. Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle), maybe Jesse Plemons' wild Bugonia turn. Best Actress favors Emma Stone (Bugonia) and Jessie Buckley (Hamnet). Supporting: Benicio del Toro and Teyana Taylor from One Battle, Paul Mescal (Hamnet). International bets on It Was Just an Accident (Palme d'Or winner) or Sirât.
Indies like Sentimental Value (Joachim Trier's family drama) and Train Dreams sneak in, while KPop Demon Hunters battles Zootropolis 2 for Animated. Casting, the newbie category, eyes ensembles in One Battle or Sinners. Campaigns amp up Chalamet's ping-pong stunts, Hugh Jackman hyping Song Sung Blue. Track via Gold Derby odds, Ringer podcasts, or Vanity Fair's Little Gold Men. With 10 Best Picture slots and 24 categories total, expect surprises, but frontrunners dominate. The shortlists scream momentum who cracks the final five (or ten)?.
Disclaimer: The information above is based on official Academy schedules, publicly released shortlists, industry tracking, and expert predictions as of January 2026. Nominee expectations and award forecasts are speculative and subject to change until the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences makes its formal announcements. Final nominations and winners are determined solely by Academy member voting and official validation.
