Awards season typically looks like… effectively… one battle after one other in terms of gauging high contenders within the race.

This 12 months, nevertheless, main gamers within the hunt for Oscars have sprung up in pole place at a remarkably early stage, with long-overdue, 11-time nominee Paul Thomas Anderson's newest broadly anticipated to place an finish to his prolonged dropping streak on the Academy Awards.

However, as final 12 months's Greatest Actress race between longtime frontrunner Demi Moore and eventual winner Mikey Madison proved, the Oscars race is a fluid, ever-changing entity with extra plot twists than Yorgos Lanthimos' Bugonia.

2025-2026 awards season calendar: See key dates for Oscars, Grammys, more 2026 Golden Globes nominations: See the full list of nominees

On the subject of gauging who might be nominated on the 2026 Oscars, Leisure Weekly's awards experience has you coated, with a full set of Oscar predictions in every of the key classes, from Greatest Image to the appearing races.

Take a look at extra from EW's The Awardist, that includes unique interviews, evaluation, and our podcast diving into all of the highlights from the 12 months's finest in TV, motion pictures, and extra.

As this 12 months's contest rages on, discover out who we expect might be nominated in EW's 2026 Oscar predictions under, updating as typically because the race modifications within the weeks forward.

Greatest Image

Name it a boring Greatest Image race when you should, however the business is — and can proceed to be — endlessly enamored by Anderson's newest. If momentum holds for the legendary filmmaker's well timed thriller, we're a monolithic contender that might find yourself because the most-winning Greatest Image victor in latest reminiscence.

Enthusiasm for One Battle After One other seems to be strongest with actors, administrators, and producers, that means it may "stack" its option to a Greatest Image victory by interesting to essentially the most influential branches within the Academy. Beginning with the actors, Battle has, in concept, round six main stars who may discover a path into the appearing classes, with Regina Corridor and Chase Infiniti being essentially the most weak. Nonetheless, the maintain the forged at present appears to have within the Greatest Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Greatest Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn), and Greatest Supporting Actress (Teyana Taylor) classes is a testomony to the movie's emotional core, which is able to drive help in the long term.

Not far behind it, although, is Chloé Zhao's Hamnet, the director's status follow-up (sorry, Eternals) to Nomadland that's already generated important buzz because of Jessie Buckley's lead efficiency, Paul Mescal's supporting flip, and the movie's historic dressings (it’s going to construct help throughout technical classes, too).

Sentimental Worth and It Was Simply an Accident will moreover proceed the latest Cannes-initiated pattern of high-brow international dramas hitting massive with the Academy's more and more worldwide votership (Chilly Conflict, Parasite, One other Spherical, Triangle of Disappointment, Anatomy of a Fall, and so forth.), whereas Sinners occupies a key spot as a runaway field workplace smash with star energy, crucial help, business success, and main above-the-line Golden Globe nominations bolstering its strong place within the 2026 race.

The remaining slots really feel open to some extent, with Timothée Chalamet's Marty Supreme, Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, and Bugonia jockeying for slots as effectively (we see Bugonia dropping on some predictions lists… discounting a Lanthimos-Emma Stone might be dangerous), whereas Depraved: For Good additionally looks like a strong option to spherical out the class one 12 months after its predecessor stormed the nominations checklist. Nonetheless, Depraved: For Good earned divisive evaluations (a lot worse than these for the primary movie) whereas Marty Supreme additionally missed key classes among the many Golden Globes nominations (together with Greatest Supporting Actress for Gwyneth Paltrow), maybe indicating much less widespread help than many initially thought.

1. One Battle After One other
2. Hamnet
3. Sinners
4. Sentimental Worth
5. It Was Simply an Accident
6. Frankenstein
7. Depraved: For Good
8. Marty Supreme
9. Prepare Goals
10. Bugonia

Within the hunt: Jay Kelly; F1; Avatar: Fireplace and Ash; The Secret Agent; No Different Alternative

Greatest Director

It's exhausting to consider that Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood, and The Grasp helmer has by no means gained an Oscar, however his 11 profession nominations stand as a testomony to his enduring recognition.

Although he's Oscar-less, PTA has gained Greatest Director at Cannes, the Silver Lion in Venice, and the Golden Bear in Berlin, that means his attain is, at this level, far and extensive, in each nook of the globe. He goals to lastly cement that affection for his work with America's foremost movie award, and all indicators level to his most up-to-date work steamrolling the competitors.

Whereas One Battle After One other has, at this level, seemingly gained the marketing campaign battle for Greatest Image, Greatest Director feels extra weak. Jafar Panahi has earned equally passionate reward for It Was Simply an Accident out of Cannes, whereas Ryan Coogler may courtroom votes for helming an unique story to large business success on the international field workplace with Sinners.

1. Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After One other
2. Ryan Coogler, Sinners
3. Jafar Panahi, It Was Simply an Accident
4. Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
5. Joachim Trier, Sentimental Worth

Within the hunt: Yorgos Lanthimos, Bugonia; Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme; Guillermo del Toro, Frankenstein

Greatest Actor

Let's get this out of the way in which now: We're not utilizing Killers of the Flower Moon to gauge DiCaprio's standing within the present Greatest Actor race. Whereas he missed out on a nod for Martin Scorsese's three-hour 2023 drama, it was a crowded 12 months with far much less assured probabilities.

His efficiency (together with these of Infiniti and Taylor) are the pumping coronary heart of One Battle After One other, and he's positioned on the head of a middling race with an unsure roster at this stage.

Marty Supreme's Chalamet additionally feels safely squared away right here (as soon as once more) as Hollywood's reigning golden boy, with the remaining three slots seemingly belonging to mainstay contenders like Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent) and Sinners' Michael B. Jordan (enjoying twin roles, thoughts you) in well-received initiatives.

Whereas Jay Kelly's George Clooney and Springsteen: Ship Me From Nowhere'sJeremy Allen White may sneak in as they star in initiatives revolving round components of the leisure business (which the Oscars have a tendency to like, particularly once they're about males), it's Dwayne Johnson's efficiency in The Smashing Machine that now we have our eye on for the long term. Whereas the Mark Kerr biopic didn't smash the field workplace, Johnson nonetheless underwent a little bit of a change for the position, and it marks one in all his most dramatic roles to this point — and, given his long-standing likability and field workplace may within the business, his fellow actors may really feel inclined to raise up one of many final remaining film stars of a dying breed of Hollywood actors.

He additionally squeezed into the Golden Globes with a nod, and has a a lot bigger business presence than, say, somebody like Joel Edgerton (Prepare Goals), who may need Greatest Image weight behind him, however his movie star standing lacks the identical business punch that Johnson's does.

1. Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After One other
2. Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
3. Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
4. Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
5. Dwayne Johnson, The Smashing Machine

Within the hunt: Joel Edgerton, Prepare Goals;George Clooney, Jay Kelly; Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon; Vahid Mobasseri, It Was Simply an Accident;Daniel Day-Lewis; Anemone

Greatest Actress

Identical to final 12 months, Greatest Actress is shaping as much as be one other two-woman race all through the rest of the season. For now, Hamnet's Buckley is out entrance, together with her emotionally charged efficiency in Zhao's drama incomes the most effective evaluations of the actress' profession. On paper, she's acquired a buzzy path forward of her, too, together with her closely anticipated reunion with Misplaced Daughter helmer Maggie Gyllenhaal (the bonkers-looking The Bride) set to drop March 6, with a press cycle seemingly coinciding with Buckley's Oscar bid.

Renate Reinsve is scorching on her tail, although, and can certainly courtroom worldwide voters after she burst onto the scene together with her standout efficiency within the phenomenal Worst Particular person within the World — additionally directed by Sentimental Worth's Trier.

No matter how its field workplace numbers fare compared to the 2024 version, Depraved: For Good will once more enhance Cynthia Erivo into the Greatest Actress crowd, together with her efficiency ultimately of the two-part musical opus hailed as one other towering achievement. Infiniti additionally feels just like the "ingenue" of the 12 months, a lot the way in which Madison ended the race final 12 months, and it's unwise to low cost Stone's unrelenting energy within the Oscar race — particularly in a movie like Bugonia, her re-teaming with Lanthimos after they discovered success with The Favorite and Poor Issues. The trick might be getting awards voters to take a seat by means of the admittedly oddball movie. In the event that they do, nevertheless, think about Stone a contender — and, by all means to date, voters have finished simply that, as she earned a Golden Globe nomination for the movie.

Whereas Infiniti has the momentum of a serious Greatest Image contender fueling her bid for a class slot, Rose Byrne, who's proven up with victories and/or nominations from critics teams and the Golden Globes alike, is shaping as much as be the crucial darling of the season. Although her If I Had Legs I'd Kick You doesn't have a shot at a nod in every other class, that really fuels our prediction for Byrne, because it proves that there's real love for her work in a movie that lacks a stake in different aggressive brackets.

1. Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
2. Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Worth
3. Cynthia Erivo, Depraved: For Good
4. Emma Stone, Bugonia
5. Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

Within the hunt: Chase Infiniti, One Battle After One other; Amanda Seyfried, The Testomony of Ann Lee; Jennifer Lawrence, Die My Love; Kate Hudson, Track Sung Blue

Greatest Supporting Actor

Sean Penn kicked up the depth along with his work in One Battle After One other, and audiences took word. His daring position as a army officer may rub some the fallacious means on character alone, however there's no denying how the business will obtain such a brash efficiency. Supporting contenders typically succeed with extra in-your-face work (simply have a look at final 12 months's Greatest Supporting Actress winner, Zoe Saldaña for Emilia Pérez), and Penn's transformative work right here may result in his first victory in 16 years.

Stellan Skarsgård additionally looks like a secure alternative given his well-received flip in Sentimental Worth, as does Mescal for his hefty supporting flip in Hamnet. The remaining slots are a toss-up in an open subject, with the more and more highly effective profile of Challengers actor Josh O'Connor bolstering his bid for Wake Up Lifeless Man, which incorporates arguably his finest work to this point.

Del Toro may go alongside for the experience with Battle, as may teen Jacobi Jupe (Hamnet) and Sinners' Delroy Lindo, however it's Jacob Elordi's work in Frankenstein that, whereas not technically the most effective of any of the aforementioned names, is bodily transformative sufficient to catch voters' consideration.

1. Sean Penn, One Battle After One other
2. Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Worth
3. Benicio del Toro, One Battle After One other
4. Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
5. Paul Mescal, Hamnet

Within the hunt: Adam Sandler, Jay Kelly; Delroy Lindo, Sinners; Jacobi Jupe, Hamnet; William H. Macy, Prepare Goals

Greatest Supporting Actress

Amy Madigan got here locked and loaded into the Greatest Supporting Actress race, with Weapons registering as a runaway hit with a cultural impression sturdy sufficient to catapult her into the Oscars contest.

Whether or not she'll preserve that all through the season stays to be seen. She'll want sturdy, sustained help from each critics teams and precursor our bodies to remain afloat, as her work within the movie is memorable, however not as showy as one may anticipate upon first look. She's acquired the factor of untamed transformation on her aspect, however the efficiency lacks the type of status enchantment essential to win over the snootier, worldwide voting physique of the appearing department. And, whereas not outright horror in nature, many may dismiss the movie as merely a style image on the whole, and refuse to look at it within the first place.

That mentioned, there's nonetheless an opportunity she may sneak in, however this class is filled with potential gamers who additionally seem on this 12 months's seemingly Greatest Image contenders. That type of weight will assist recognizable names like prior winner Paltrow (Marty Supreme) and Elle Fanning (Sentimental Worth) succeed on early ballots.

Assist for Sinners can also be more likely to be sturdy within the coming weeks, with Wunmi Mosaku's unimaginable efficiency within the movie finally sturdy sufficient (and her half meaty sufficient) to beat the identical type of style bias which may maintain somebody like Madigan again.

However, at this part, the race appears to be Taylor's to lose. With one other high-profile efficiency in Ryan Murphy's All's Honest hitting within the lead-up to key voting intervals, Taylor's face (and appearing prowess) might be exhausting to disregard this 12 months — particularly in such a powerful Greatest Image contender like One Battle After One other.

Whereas Depraved: For Good isn't faring in addition to the primary movie did with critics, pop star Ariana Grande's scene-stealing efficiency has damaged by means of the division, and has emerged as the one actual menace to Taylor's standing to date.

1. Teyana Taylor, One Battle After One other
2. Ariana Grande, Depraved: For Good
3. Elle Fanning, Sentimental Worth
4. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Worth
5. Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners

Within the hunt: Amy Madigan, Weapons; Gwyneth Paltrow, Marty Supreme; Odessa A'zion, Marty Supreme; Regina Corridor, One Battle After One other;Emily Blunt, The Smashing Machine

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