Oscars 2026: Full Breakdown of Every Major Category, My Predictions, and Why This Year’s Awards Are a Heavyweight Fight

Tonight is Hollywood’s biggest night. The 98th Academy Awards are taking place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, celebrating the best films released in 2025. The ceremony is hosted by Conan O’Brien and will air live on ABC and Hulu.

One film in particular has completely dominated the conversation: Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners.” The movie made history with 16 Oscar nominations, the most ever for a single film.

But despite that dominance, this year’s race is surprisingly competitive across multiple categories.

Let’s break down the biggest nominations and make some predictions.

Best Picture Nominees

The Best Picture lineup this year includes ten films:

• Bugonia

• F1

• Frankenstein

• Hamnet

• Marty Supreme

• One Battle After Another

• The Secret Agent

• Sentimental Value

• Sinners

• Train Dreams 

My Pick: Sinners

When a film gets 16 nominations, it usually means the Academy loves it across the board.

Sinners is nominated for:

• Best Picture

• Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan)

• Best Supporting Actor (Delroy Lindo)

• Best Supporting Actress (Wunmi Mosaku)

• Best Director (Ryan Coogler)

• Multiple technical categories

That kind of across-the-board support usually leads to the big one.

But the biggest challenger might be Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another,” which received 13 nominations and has strong critical momentum.

Still, my money is on Sinners taking home Best Picture.

Best Actor

Nominees:

• Timothée Chalamet — Marty Supreme

• Leonardo DiCaprio — One Battle After Another

• Ethan Hawke — Blue Moon

• Michael B. Jordan — Sinners

• Wagner Moura — The Secret Agent 

This category might be the tightest race of the night.

Chalamet gave an incredible performance and continues to prove why he’s one of the most talented actors of his generation.

But I’m leaning Michael B. Jordan.

In Sinners, he essentially played two completely different characters, which is the kind of transformation the Academy loves rewarding.

It’s the type of role that shows range, commitment, and the ability to carry a film. And those are exactly the types of performances that usually win Oscars.

Best Actress

Nominees:

• Jessie Buckley — Hamnet

• Rose Byrne — If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

• Kate Hudson — Song Sung Blue

• Renate Reinsve — Sentimental Value

• Emma Stone — Bugonia 

For me, this one is simple.

Emma Stone.

Her performance in Bugonia was unbelievable.

The role required emotional depth, vulnerability, and comedic timing — and she delivered across the board.

Now to be fair…

I’ve had a crush on Emma Stone for about a decade. So maybe I’m a little biased. But bias aside, the performance speaks for itself.

Best Supporting Actor

Nominees:

• Benicio Del Toro — One Battle After Another

• Jacob Elordi — Frankenstein

• Delroy Lindo — Sinners

• Sean Penn — One Battle After Another

• Stellan Skarsgård — Sentimental Value 

My Pick: Delroy Lindo

Lindo’s performance in Sinners has been widely praised throughout the awards season. He brings a commanding presence to the film and plays a crucial role in the story’s emotional arc.

If Sinners has a big night, this is a category where it could add another trophy.

Best Supporting Actress

Nominees:

• Elle Fanning — Sentimental Value

• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas — Sentimental Value

• Amy Madigan — Weapons

• Wunmi Mosaku — Sinners

• Teyana Taylor — One Battle After Another 

My Pick: Teyana Taylor

Taylor’s performance in One Battle After Another has been one of the most talked-about supporting performances of the year. She brings intensity and emotional weight to the role and has gained serious momentum during awards season.

Best Director

Nominees:

• Paul Thomas Anderson — One Battle After Another

• Ryan Coogler — Sinners

• Josh Safdie — Marty Supreme

• Joachim Trier — Sentimental Value

• Chloé Zhao — Hamnet 

My Pick: Paul Thomas Anderson

Even if Sinners wins Best Picture, I could easily see the Academy giving Best Director to Anderson. That split happens more often than people think.

Anderson’s film has been praised for its storytelling, scale, and direction.

Best Animated Feature

One of the more fun categories this year includes major animated contenders like:

• Zootopia 2

• KPop Demon Hunters

• several other animated projects recognized across the industry

This is where having cousins with young kids comes in handy for movie reviews, because I just take my nieces to the movies so I can review it come award season.

Animated films have quietly become some of the most technically impressive movies every year. This category often produces the most emotional speeches of the night.

International Feature Film

International cinema continues to grow in prominence at the Oscars.

This year’s contenders include major international films such as:

• The Secret Agent (Brazil)

• Sentimental Value (Norway)

Films from outside the U.S. are now competing at the highest levels of the Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Technical Categories to Watch

These awards don’t always get the headlines, but they are essential to filmmaking.

Expect films like Sinners, Frankenstein, and One Battle After Another to compete heavily in categories such as:

• Cinematography

• Costume Design

• Sound

• Visual Effects

• Screenplay categories

Technical categories often determine which film ultimately has the biggest night.

My Full Oscars Predictions

Best Picture: Sinners

Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan

Best Actress: Emma Stone

Best Supporting Actor: Delroy Lindo

Best Supporting Actress: Teyana Taylor

Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson.

Every year the Oscars bring:

• unforgettable speeches

• shocking upsets

• viral moments that take over the internet

This year feels like a battle between Sinners and One Battle After Another.

But regardless of who wins, the real story might be the continued evolution of the Academy itself.

More diverse films.

More international cinema.

And genres like horror finally getting serious recognition.

Hollywood’s biggest night should be interesting.