Oscars 2026 Academy Awards: Full list of nominations and predictions

Dubai: The 98th Academy Awards take place on Sunday March 15, and this year's race is one of the most exciting in recent memory. Two films have dominated the entire awards season, and it has been almost impossible to call which one will ultimately take home the top prize. Here is a category-by-category look at who is nominated, who is tipped to win, and what the night might look like.

The Best Picture conversation has come down to two Warner Bros. films: Ryan Coogler's Sinners, an electric vampire horror musical, and Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, a breathless contemporary thriller. Both are exceptional, and either would make a deserving winner. One Battle After Another has the edge on paper, having won at both the Directors Guild and Producers Guild awards. But Sinners took home the main prize at the SAG Awards, which is historically a strong indicator.

Predicted winner: One Battle After Another

Paul Thomas Anderson is the heavy favourite here, having swept the BAFTA, Critics' Choice and Golden Globe. His direction of One Battle After Another has been called flawless. Ryan Coogler is his closest competition, with visually immersive and thematically rich work on Sinners that is hard to argue against.

Predicted winner: Paul Thomas Anderson

Timothée Chalamet for his role as Marty Mauser in Marty Supreme, but the actor also recently got some bad rep because of his comments towards theatre and ballet. Michael B. Jordan is a genuine contender after his SAG win for a remarkable double role in Sinners. Leonardo DiCaprio and Wagner Moura are both in the conversation, while Ethan Hawke's work in Blue Moon has unfortunately not generated enough buzz to make him a realistic contender.

Predicted winner: Michael B. Jordan

Jessie Buckley is the frontrunner for her devastating performance in Hamnet. Rose Byrne is close behind for If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, and many critics feel she is the more deserving winner given it is her first nomination. Emma Stone received a nomination for Bugonia, but a third Oscar win feels unlikely given her two previous wins for La La Land and Poor Things.

Predicted winner: Jessie Buckley

Sean Penn has won at both the BAFTAs and the SAG Awards for One Battle After Another, making him the clear favourite. Stellan Skarsgård took home the Golden Globe for Sentimental Value, and Jacob Elordi won at the Critics' Choice for Frankenstein, so neither should be entirely dismissed. But Penn has the momentum.

Predicted winner: Sean Penn

Wunmi Mosaku and Teyana Taylor are the two names to watch here. Mosaku has a slight edge given the Academy's strong affection for Sinners as a whole this season.

Predicted winner: Wunmi Mosaku

Ryan Coogler has swept this category at the BAFTAs, Critics' Choice, and Writers Guild Awards. Given that One Battle After Another is not nominated here, this one looks very settled indeed.

Predicted winner: Sinners

One Battle After Another has won virtually every award in this category so far, including the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and WGA. Paul Thomas Anderson's adaptation is the near-certain winner.

Predicted winner: One Battle After Another

KPop Demon Hunters is both a critical favourite and a hugely popular film, and is also nominated for Best Original Song. It is the clear frontrunner, though Zootopia 2 proved a surprise hit with audiences and could push it close.

Predicted winner: KPop Demon Hunters

This is the first new Oscar category since Best Animated Feature was introduced in 2001. Sinners has already won at the Casting Society of America and the Critics' Choice Awards, putting Francine Maisler's work in the driver's seat. The discovery of Miles Caton alone makes a compelling case.

Predicted winner: Sinners

Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman of colour nominated in this category for Sinners. But Michael Bauman's work on One Battle After Another has won at both BAFTA and the American Society of Cinematographers, giving it the statistical edge.

Predicted winner: One Battle After Another

Kate Hawley has won at the Costume Designers Guild, BAFTA, and Critics' Choice for her gothic Victorian work on Frankenstein, and this feels like hers to lose. Ruth E. Carter could pull off an upset for Sinners, which would make her only the 12th person to win this category three times.

Predicted winner: Frankenstein

Action films typically do well in this category, which gives F1: The Movie a strong case. It also tends to align with Best Picture, which swings things back towards One Battle After Another or Sinners. F1 feels like the most likely winner but do not rule out either of the frontrunners.

Predicted winner: F1: The Movie

Frankenstein has the best chances here, with the transformation of Jacob Elordi into the titular monster being widely praised as technically exceptional. The Smashing Machine makes Dwayne Johnson almost unrecognisable, but Frankenstein is the clear favourite.

Predicted winner: Frankenstein

Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein is built around its lavish sets and complex practical effects. While Sinners and One Battle After Another could upset due to their Best Picture momentum, this feels like a clear opportunity to reward one of the year's most impressive production achievements.

Predicted winner: Frankenstein

F1: The Movie won at the BAFTAs and is the favourite here. Oliver Laxe's apocalyptic rave film Sirāt would be a bold and deserving alternative, with its pounding, nerve-shredding bass being one of the most talked-about sound experiences of the year.

Predicted winner: F1: The Movie

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the overwhelming favourite, continuing the legacy of both previous films in the franchise. Its performance capture and world-building remain technically breathtaking even by current standards.

Predicted winner: Avatar: Fire and Ash

Ludwig Göransson is on course for what would be a remarkable third Oscar, following Black Panther and Oppenheimer. His blues-inflected score for Sinners is as immersive as the film itself. Jonny Greenwood's work on One Battle After Another is the only real alternative.

Predicted winner: Sinners — Ludwig Göransson

"Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about songs of the year. "I Lied To You" from Sinners is a genuine contender if the night turns into a full sweep for Coogler's film.

Predicted winner: "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters

Sentimental Value has the advantage of being nominated across several mainstream categories including Best Picture, a rare achievement for a non-English language film. Jafar Panahi's It Was Just an Accident, the Cannes Palme d'Or winner, could still pull off a surprise.

Predicted winner: Sentimental Value

The Perfect Neighbor is the likely winner, using police bodycam footage to examine Stand Your Ground laws in the US. BAFTA winner Mr Nobody Against Putin remains a strong alternative.

Predicted winner: The Perfect Neighbor

Butterfly, which brings the true story of Jewish swimmer Alfred Nakache to life through innovative watercolour animation, is the frontrunner and would be a very deserving winner.

Predicted winner: Butterfly

Two People Exchanging Saliva, a French-language dystopian story set in a world where kissing is banned, is considered the strongest of the nominees. A Friend of Dorothy is its closest competition.

Predicted winner: Two People Exchanging Saliva

All the Empty Rooms, which showcases the empty bedrooms of children killed in school shootings, is the predicted winner in a category full of urgent, politically charged films.

Predicted winner: All the Empty Rooms

The 98th Academy Awards air on Sunday March 15.

Areeba Hashmi is a trainee at Gulf News.