2026 Oscar winner predictions: Who will win Greatest Image, Greatest Actor, and extra amongst high Academy Awards contenders?

• The 2026 Oscar nominations modified the state of the race. Now, see EW's winner predictions.
• Michael B. Jordan, Sinners, One Battle After One other, KPop Demon Hunters, and extra are high contenders.
• Conan O'Brien returns as 98th Academy Awards host on March 15.

After many years of ignoring horror movies at giant, the 2026 Oscars have rewritten the sins of Academy Awards historical past by anointing Ryan Coogler's Sinners because the most-nominated film of all time. However will the feat — and the movie's latest success on the Actor Awards — be sufficient to push it into the Oscars' winners' circle over long-standing frontrunner One Battle After One other?

On the finish of 2025, issues appeared buttoned up for Paul Thomas Anderson's thriller One Battle After Another to steamroll the season. Whereas that's nonetheless a sensible situation, cross-branch help on the Oscars (to the tune of a landmark 16 general nominations) signifies collective ardour would possibly've shifted towards Sinners in latest weeks.

Tying the prior file for many nods by one movie (14) is a powerful feat, as La La Land managed to do for the primary time since 1997's Titanic again in 2017. However Sinners not solely met the problem, it surpassed the benchmark by two, that means each eligible department that might vote for the film, did.

Where to watch and stream 2026 Oscar-nominated movies, from 'Hamnet' to 'Sinners' 'Sinners' shatters major Oscars record previously held by 'Titanic,' 'La La Land,' more

Get your day by day dose of leisure information, movie star updates, and what to observe with our EW Dispatch e-newsletter.

Oscar nominations morning is not the time for any contender to lose momentum, whether or not it's actual curiosity amongst voters and even falling just a few locations again within the Oscars publicity machine. One Battle successfully dominated the dialog for months; after consideration shifted again to Sinners following its monumental box-office run, it appeared that enthusiasm might soar ship from Anderson's newest as Coogler's style masterwork rises as a replacement.

Nonetheless, One Battle After One other surged again on the Administrators Guild of America Awards, the place Anderson scored the ceremony's high prize over Coogler, clearing a path for the Magnolia director's Oscar victory as effectively.

These notions halted, nevertheless, when Sinners triumphed on the Actor Awards (which shares large crossover membership with the Academy) in two key classes. The trade's largest union anointed the movie as its high winner of the night time, within the Excellent Efficiency by a Forged in a Movement Image class. Whereas that bracket generally sees extra populist tasks succeed (Hidden Figures, Sideways, Little Miss Sunshine, and many others. have all received prior to now regardless of not repeating for Greatest Image), Michael B. Jordan's shock victory over Timothée Chalamet on the Actor Awards factors to rising affection for the mission spreading by the trade. And, for the primary time in months, jolts a shot of power into the Greatest Actor race that might, at this level, go both manner.

Regardless of a story fueling Sinners' resurgence (with Coogler helming a predominantly Black solid en route to only below $370 million on the world field workplace, all for an authentic story with no foundational supply materials), the movie isn't with out its critics. Many have discovered it to be overly lengthy and maybe too experimental for some industrial tastes, whereas One Battle — which is definitely an extended film by 25 minutes — is a "safer" and extra conventional choice. However cash talks, and Sinners' viewers enchantment is one thing Hollywood desperately wants proper now, amid the age of what many think about to be a bleak period of sequel-soaked, IP-driven slop.

That push and pull might level to a different Greatest Image/Greatest Director break up forward, with One Battle's tight route lastly scoring Anderson his first victory within the class, whereas stronger general cross-branch help for Sinners (and what the movie represents) leading to sufficient passionate, top-ballot placements for the movie to squeeze it into the winner's circle for Greatest Image.

On paper, although, One Battle remains to be primed to win not less than two above-the-line Oscars, together with one for supporting actor Sean Penn (who received at each the BAFTAs and the Actor Awards) and Anderson's possible Greatest Director victory, even when it loses Greatest Image in the long run.

Different appearing winners really feel extra protected and safe than they did just a few weeks in the past, particularly Jessie Buckley's main flip in Hamnet, which has steamrolled the Greatest Actress race to date. One Battle's Teyana Taylor felt protected in January, however as Amy Madigan's triumph on the Actor Awards and the Critics Alternative Awards proves, there's a mighty push for her rising by Hollywood, so anticipate the Weapons star to return out on high of that battle.

Earlier than the 2026 Oscars winners are revealed Sunday, March 15, through the ABC telecast, learn on for Leisure Weekly's full listing of 98th Academy Awards winner predictions.

Greatest Image

Bugonia
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After One other
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Worth
PREDICTED WINNER: Sinners
Prepare Desires

Greatest Director

Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
PREDICTED WINNER: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After One other
Joachim Trier, Sentimental Worth
Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Greatest Actor

Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After One other
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
PREDICTED WINNER: Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

Greatest Actress

PREDICTED WINNER: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
Kate Hudson, Tune Sung Blue
Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Worth
Emma Stone, Bugonia

Greatest Supporting Actor

Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After One other
Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo, Sinners
PREDICTED WINNER: Sean Penn, One Battle After One other
Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Worth

Greatest Supporting Actress

Elle Fanning, Sentimental Worth
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Worth
PREDICTED WINNER: Amy Madigan, Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After One other

Greatest Animated Function

Arco
Elio
PREDICTED WINNER: KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

Greatest Documentary Function

The Alabama Resolution
Come See Me within the Good Mild
Reducing By way of Rocks
Mr No one In opposition to Putin
PREDICTED WINNER: The Good Neighbor

Greatest Worldwide Function

The Secret Agent (Brazil)
It Was Simply an Accident (France)
PREDICTED WINNER: Sentimental Worth (Norway)
Sirât (Spain)
The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia)

Greatest Authentic Screenplay

Robert Kaplow, Blue Moon
Jafar Panahi (script collaborators: Nader Saïvar, Shadmehr Rastin, Mehdi Mahmoudian), It Was Simply an Accident
Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier, Sentimental Worth
PREDICTED WINNER: Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Greatest Tailored Screenplay

Will Tracy, Bugonia
Guillermo del Toro, Frankenstein
Chloé Zhao, Maggie O'Farrell, Hamnet
PREDICTED WINNER: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After One other
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Prepare Desires

Greatest Casting

Nina Gold, Hamnet
Jennifer Venditti, Marty Supreme
Cassandra Kulukundis, One Battle After One other
Gabriel Domingues, The Secret Agent
PREDICTED WINNER: Francine Maisler, Sinners

Greatest Movie Modifying

Stephen Mirrione, F1
Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
PREDICTED WINNER: Andy Jurgensen, One Battle After One other
Olivier Bugge Coutté, Sentimental Worth
Michael P. Shawver, Sinners

Greatest Cinematography

Dan Laustsen, Frankenstein
Darius Khondji, Marty Supreme
Michael Bauman, One Battle After One other
PREDICTED WINNER: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners
Adolpho Veloso, Prepare Desires

Greatest Manufacturing Design

PREDICTED WINNER: Tamara Deverell, Shan Vieau, Frankenstein
Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton, Hamnet
Jack Fisk, Adam Willis, Marty Supreme
Florencia Martin, Anthony Carlino, One Battle After One other
Hannah Beachler, Monique Champagne, Sinners

Greatest Costume Design

Deborah L. Scott, Avatar: Fireplace and Ash
PREDICTED WINNER: Kate Hawley, Frankenstein
Malgosia Turzanska, Hamnet
Miyako Bellizzi, Marty Supreme
Ruth E. Carter, Sinners

Greatest Make-up and Hairstyling

PREDICTED WINNER: Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey, Frankenstein
Kyoko Toyokawa, Naomi Hibino, Tadashi Nishimatsu, Kokuho
Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, Shunika Terry, Sinners
Kazu Hiro, Glen Griffin, Bjoern Rehbein, The Smashing Machine
Thomas Foldberg, Anne Cathrine Sauerberg, The Ugly Stepsister

Greatest Authentic Tune

"Pricey Me," Diane Warren: Relentless (music and lyrics by Diane Warren)
PREDICTED WINNER: "Golden," KPop Demon Hunters (music and lyrics by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seon, Teddy Park)
"I Lied to You," Sinners (music and lyrics by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Goransson)
"Candy Desires of Pleasure," Viva Verdi! (music and lyrics by Nicholas Pike)
"Prepare Desires," Prepare Desires (music by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner; lyrics by Nick Cave

Greatest Authentic Rating

Jerskin Fendrix, Bugonia
Alexandre Desplat, Frankenstein
Max Richter, Hamnet
Jonny Greenwood, One Battle After One other
PREDICTED WINNER: Ludwig Goransson, Sinners

Greatest Sound

PREDICTED WINNER: Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta, F1
Greg Chapman, Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern, Frankenstein
José Antonio García, Christopher Scarabosio, Tony Villaflo, One Battle After One other
Chris Welcker, Benjamin A. Burtt, Felipe Pacheco, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker, Sinners
Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas, Yasmina Praderas, Sirât

Greatest Visible Results

PREDICTED WINNER: Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett, Avatar: Fireplace and Ash
Ryan Tudhope, Nicolas Chevallier, Robert Harrington, Keith Dawson, F1
David Vickery, Stephen Aplin, Charmaine Chan, Neil Corbould, Jurassic World: Rebirth
Charlie Noble, David Zaretti, Russell Bowen, Brandon Ok. McLaughlin, The Misplaced Bus
Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter, Donnie Dean, Sinners

Greatest Dwell-Motion Quick

Butcher's Stain
A Pal of Dorothy
Jane Austen's Interval Drama
The Singers
PREDICTED WINNER: Two Folks Exchanging Saliva

Greatest Animated Quick

PREDICTED WINNER: Butterfly
Forevergreen
The Lady Who Cried Pearls
Retirement Plan
The Three Sisters

Greatest Documentary Quick

All of the Empty Rooms
PREDICTED WINNER: Armed Solely With a Digital camera: The Life and Demise of Brent Renaud
Youngsters No Extra: "Had been and Are Gone"
The Satan Is Busy
Completely a Strangeness

Shut