As the 98th Academy Awards draw closer, the Oscars 2026 race has officially entered its final and most intense phase, with critics, awards experts, and industry insiders projecting which films and performances will land nominations when the list is revealed on January 22, 2026. Among the frontrunners this year, Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic One Battle After Another continues to dominate discussion across key awards circuits and critics’ boards, positioning itself as possibly the most nominated film of the season.
One Battle After Another — an action-driven yet deeply character-focused work from a celebrated auteur — has consistently earned top honors and awards attention throughout the season. It won Best Picture and Best Director at several major critics’ awards, including National Society of Film Critics, Seattle Film Critics Society, and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, often sweeping multiple categories such as directing and acting. These precursors have given it extraordinary momentum heading into Oscar nominations, with many analysts predicting nominations across a dozen or more categories including Best Picture, Best Director for Anderson, and multiple acting slots for stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio Del Toro.
But One Battle After Another is not alone at the top of this year’s awards conversation. Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is also poised for a historic Oscar showing, with speculation it could tie or even break records for the most nominations in Academy history. This supernatural thriller already leads major critics circles and craft awards with double-digit nominations on the season’s “leaderboards,” acknowledged for its storytelling, technical achievements, and standout performances — particularly from Michael B. Jordan.
Beyond these two powerhouses, a number of films are making strong cases in the Oscar race across categories. Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet — a poetic and intimate drama about the early life of Shakespeare’s son — has garnered consistent critical acclaim and could secure nominations in acting, directing, and screenplay categories. Other significant contenders include “Marty Supreme”, a biographical drama featuring Timothée Chalamet, the acclaimed European film Sentimental Value, and Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, which has earned notice for production design and performance strengths.
The acting categories appear fiercely contested this year as well. Experts tracking the Oscars buzz are identifying a mix of established stars and breakout performances vying for Best Actor and Best Actress nods. Alongside Leonardo DiCaprio’s expected front-runner status, names like Jessie Buckley, Emma Stone, and Rose Byrne are frequently cited in Best Actress predictions — illustrating a richly competitive landscape. Similarly, the Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress races are filled with potential nominees from multiple top films, promising a vibrant mix of veteran talent and fresh faces.
International cinema is also shaping the 2026 nominations picture, with films from across the world gaining traction among Academy voters. Norway’s Sentimental Value, Brazil’s The Secret Agent, and Spain’s Sirāt are among titles discussed as possible contenders in Best International Feature Film and other categories — marking another dynamic year for global storytelling on the Academy’s stage. Meanwhile, India’s Homebound, shortlisted in the Best International Feature category, reflects the growing recognition of South Asian cinema on awards ballots, even as it faces stiff competition from other global entries.
As awards season unfolds and the Oscar nominations announcement approaches, the conversation among critics and moviegoers reflects not just excitement about individual films but also about a diverse slate of entries that range from blockbuster-scale productions to intimate artistic dramas and international narratives. Whether One Battle After Another ultimately leads the field with the most nominations or a surprise contender emerges from the pack, the 2026 Oscar race promises to be one of the most talked-about and closely watched in recent memory.
The full nominations list — set to drop in just days — will clarify which predictions hold true, setting the stage for the Academy Awards ceremony and the culmination of a worldwide awards season that has captivated film lovers and industry insiders alike.