2026 Academy Awards: Final Nomination Predictions Revealed

Revolutionaries, monsters, vampires and accused undercover alien beings are set to dominate this year’s Oscar nominations, headlined by two Warner Bros. films vying to etch their names in Academy history. Ryan Coogler’s audacious vampire drama “Sinners” is projected to make Academy Awards history with a staggering 15 nominations — surpassing “All About Eve,” “Titanic” and “La La Land” to become the most nominated film of all time. The Michael B. Jordan-led thriller could appear in major categories including best picture, director and all craft categories, with potential for additional mentions in supporting actor for Miles Caton and/or Delroy Lindo and a second original song nomination, possibly making the number even larger. Close behind is Paul Thomas Anderson’s political epic “One Battle After Another,” forecast to earn 13 nominations in a commanding awards season performance. The sweeping drama could achieve a rare feat by landing five of its actors across all four acting categories — Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn and Teyana Taylor — becoming just the 16th film in Oscar history to accomplish this distinction and the first since “American Hustle” in 2013. Chloé Zhao’s intimate grief drama “Hamnet” is expected to register strongly across the board, with the former Oscar-winning auteur poised to become only the second woman to earn multiple best director nominations. The Shakespeare-inspired film could net nominations for front-runner Jessie Buckley in best actress and Paul Mescal in supporting actor, along with technical recognition. Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” and Josh Safdie’s “Marty Supreme” round out a competitive best director lineup, while the best picture field of 10 reflects the year’s genre diversity — from the racing spectacle “F1” to Emma Stone’s sci-fi comedy “Bugonia” to the international Brazilian thriller “The Secret Agent.” Four films are projected to earn 10 or more nominations this year — only the second time in Oscar history that’s happened. The first was with the 2019 slate, when “Joker” led with 11 nods, followed by “The Irishman,” “1917” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” each with 10. With nominations spanning political dramas, creature features, sports spectacles and intimate character studies, this year’s Oscar nominations promise one of the most eclectic and competitive fields. Here are Variety’s final predictions (in alphabetical order). The official rankings can be found on each individual category page (will be updated between Jan. 20-21). NOTE: All credited producers and artisans are subject to change. The final determination will be made by the Academy and released as part of their nominations announcement. Best Picture Alternate: “Blue Moon” Achievement in Directing Alternate: Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme” Actor in a Leading Role Alternate: Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia” Actress in a Leading Role Alternate: Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue” Actor in a Supporting Role Alternate: Andrew Scott, “Blue Moon” Actress in a Supporting Role Alternate: Gwyneth Paltrow, “Marty Supreme” Original Screenplay Alternate: “The Secret Agent” Adapted Screenplay Alternate: “Nuremberg” Casting Alternate: “Sirāt” Animated Feature Alternate: “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle” Production Design Alternate: “Wicked: For Good” Cinematography Alternate: “Hamnet” Costume Design Alternate: “The Testament of Ann Lee” Film Editing Alternate: “Frankenstein” Makeup and Hairstyling Alternate: “Wicked: For Good” Sound Alternate: “Wicked: For Good” Visual Effects Alternate: “Frankenstein” Original Score Alternate: “Train Dreams” Original Song Alternate: “Train Dreams” from “Train Dreams” Documentary Feature Alternate: “The Alabama Solution” International Feature Alternate: “Kokuho” Animated Short Alternate: “Autokar” Documentary Short Alternate: “Last Days on Lake Trinity” Live Action Short Alternate: “Jane Austen’s Period Drama” Film scorecard prediction (Top 5): Studio scorecard prediction (Top 5):