The countdown to cinema’s biggest night has officially begun with the Academy revealing the nominees for the 98th Academy Awards. The announcement, made by actors Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman, has set the tone for a competitive and high-profile Oscars season, celebrating a year packed with ambitious storytelling, powerful performances, and bold filmmaking choices.
Leading the nominations this year is Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which continues its awards momentum after a strong showing during the earlier awards circuit. Close behind is Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, another critical favourite that secured nominations across major categories. Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme also emerged as a major contender, reaffirming its status as one of the year’s most talked-about films.
While the nominations largely aligned with industry predictions, there were a few notable talking points. Among them was the absence of Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, which failed to secure any nominations despite early festival buzz. On the other hand, international cinema made a strong showing, with films from Brazil, France, Norway, Spain, and Tunisia earning recognition in the International Feature Film category.
The Best Picture race features a diverse slate of films, including Bugonia, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Sinners, and Train Dreams, highlighting a year where both large-scale productions and intimate narratives found equal footing. In the acting categories, performances by Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, Emma Stone, and Jessie Buckley have been recognised, promising some of the most competitive races in recent memory.
Technical categories also reflect a year of cinematic innovation, with Frankenstein, Sinners, and One Battle After Another repeatedly appearing across cinematography, sound, production design, and visual effects nominations. Animated cinema continues to thrive as well, with titles like Zootopia 2 and Elio earning spots among the nominees.
The 2026 Oscars ceremony will take place on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on ABC. With celebrated auteurs, global voices, and standout performances all represented, this year’s nominations point to an awards night that will honour both artistic ambition and cultural impact.
