The race for Hollywood’s biggest night officially gathered momentum on Thursday as the organizers of the 98th Academy Awards unveiled the first slate of nominations for the 2026 Oscars, setting the tone for what is shaping up to be a fiercely competitive awards season.
The announcement was made by actors Lewis Pullman and Danielle Brooks, who revealed nominees across major and technical categories, offering an early glimpse into the films and performances that have captured the attention of the Academy this year.
Leading the pack are One Battle After Another, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, and Sinners, helmed by Ryan Coogler. Both films emerged as early front-runners, earning multiple nominations across top categories, including Best Picture, acting, directing, and several technical fields—cementing their status as the productions to beat ahead of the March ceremony.
The Best Picture category reflects a diverse and ambitious slate, featuring ten films ranging from historical dramas and literary adaptations to big-budget spectacles. Alongside One Battle After Another and Sinners, contenders include Bugonia, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Train Dreams, and F1: The Movie, underscoring the Academy’s continued embrace of both auteur-driven cinema and mainstream storytelling.
In the acting categories, several heavyweight performances have been recognized. Timothée Chalamet earned a Best Actor nod for Marty Supreme, competing against Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent). The Best Actress race is equally stacked, with nominations for Jessie Buckley, Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Renate Reinsve, and Emma Stone.
Supporting acting categories further highlighted the dominance of One Battle After Another, Sinners, and Sentimental Value, with multiple nominations spread across both male and female supporting roles.
Behind the camera, the Best Director category features a formidable lineup of filmmakers, including Chloé Zhao (Hamnet), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme), Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another), Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value), and Ryan Coogler (Sinners), reinforcing the strong auteur presence in this year’s awards conversation.
International cinema also made a strong showing, with Brazil’s The Secret Agent, France’s It Was Just an Accident, Norway’s Sentimental Value, Spain’s Sirāt, and Tunisia’s The Voice of Hind Rajab competing for Best International Feature.
The nominations span a wide range of technical and creative categories—from cinematography and editing to costume design, visual effects, and original score—highlighting films such as Frankenstein, Hamnet, F1: The Movie, and Avatar: Fire and Ash for their craftsmanship and scale.
The 98th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 15, 2026, with comedian and television host Conan O’Brien set to return as host. As the awards season unfolds, attention will now turn to guild awards, critics’ ceremonies, and campaign momentum, all of which are expected to shape the outcome on Oscar night.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The early nominations for the 98th Academy Awards position One Battle After Another and Sinners as the clear front-runners, setting up a highly competitive Oscars race ahead of the March 15, 2026, ceremony hosted by Conan O’Brien.
