A night of visionaries: The 2026 Oscars celebrate bold cinema and global storytelling

The countdown to cinema’s most glittering night has officially begun. The 2026 Academy Awards will unfold on Sunday, March 15, once again bringing Hollywood’s finest to the Dolby Theatre. The ceremony will air live beginning 4 p.m. PT, simulcast on ABC and Hulu, marking another step in the Oscars’ effort to reach both traditional viewers and streaming audiences.

For the second consecutive year, late-night icon Conan O’Brien returns as host, promising a blend of sharp wit, self-aware humor, and reverence for the craft of filmmaking. His comeback signals continuity after a well-received debut, as the Academy leans into familiarity while spotlighting a notably adventurous slate of nominees.

This year’s race reflects a striking creative confidence. Auteur filmmakers dominate the marquee categories, with projects that span intimate literary adaptations, large-scale studio spectacles, and politically charged international works. From Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia to Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, and from Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another to Chloé Zhao’s lyrical Hamnet, the 2026 Oscars showcase an industry increasingly comfortable rewarding bold vision alongside commercial power.

Acting categories are equally electric, pitting established Oscar favorites against performers redefining their screen personas. Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Emma Stone face formidable competition from global talents like Wagner Moura and Renate Reinsve, while the supporting races brim with prestige names and scene-stealing performances. Beyond the spotlight categories, the crafts reflect the same ambition—lavish costume worlds, daring cinematography, and soundscapes designed for immersive theatrical experiences.

International cinema and animation also enjoy a strong presence this year. Norway’s Sentimental Value and Brazil’s The Secret Agent cross multiple categories, while animated contenders balance beloved franchises with inventive new storytelling. Documentary selections underscore the Academy’s continued attention to urgent political realities and deeply personal human stories.

As Hollywood gathers once more under the lights, the 2026 Oscars promise a night that celebrates not just stars, but storytellers—artists pushing cinema forward while honoring its enduring power.

Full List of 2026 Academy Awards Nominees

Best Picture

• Bugonia (Focus Features) – Producers: Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, Lars Knudsen

• F1 (Apple) – Producers: Chad Oman, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Joseph Kosinski, Jerry Bruckheimer

• Frankenstein (Netflix) – Producers: Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale, Scott Stuber

• Hamnet (Focus Features) – Producers: Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Steven Spielberg, Sam Mendes

• Marty Supreme (A24) – Producers: Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Anthony Katagas, Timothée Chalamet

• One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) – Producers: Adam Somner, Sara Murphy, Paul Thomas Anderson

• The Secret Agent (Neon) – Producer: Emilie Lesclaux

• Sentimental Value (Neon) – Producers: Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar

• Sinners (Warner Bros.) – Producers: Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ryan Coogler

• Train Dreams (Netflix) – Producers: Marissa McMahon, Teddy Schwarzman, Will Janowitz, Ashley Schlaifer, Michael Heimler

Best Director

• Chloé Zhao – Hamnet

• Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme

• Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another

• Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value

• Ryan Coogler – Sinners

Best Actor

• Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme

• Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another

• Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon

• Michael B. Jordan – Sinners

• Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent

Best Actress

• 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

Best Supporting Actor

• Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another

• Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein

• Delroy Lindo – Sinners

• Sean Penn – One Battle After Another

• Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

Best Supporting Actress

• Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value

• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value

• Amy Madigan – Weapons

• Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners

• Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Bugonia – Will Tracy

• Frankenstein – Guillermo del Toro

• Hamnet – Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell

• One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson

• Train Dreams – Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar

Best Original Screenplay

• Blue Moon – Robert Kaplow

• It Was Just an Accident – Jafar Panahi & collaborators

• Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie

• Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier & Eskil Vogt

• Sinners – Ryan Coogler

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

• Frankenstein

• Kokuho

• Sinners

• The Smashing Machine

• The Ugly Stepsister

Best Original Score

• Bugonia

• Frankenstein

• Hamnet

• One Battle After Another

• Sinners

Best Live-Action Short

• Butcher’s Stain

• A Friend of Dorothy

• Jane Austen’s Period Drama

• The Singers

• Two People Exchanging Saliva

Best Animated Short

• Butterfly

• Forevergreen

• The Girl Who Cried Pearls

• Retirement Plan

• The Three Sisters

Best Casting

• Hamnet

• Marty Supreme

• One Battle After Another

• The Secret Agent

• Sinners

Best Costume Design

• Avatar: Fire and Ash

• Frankenstein

• Hamnet

• Marty Supreme

• Sinners

Best Original Song

• “Dear Me” – Diane Warren: Relentless

• “Golden” – KPop Demon Hunters

• “Highest 2 Lowest” – Highest 2 Lowest

• “I Lied To You” – Sinners

• “Sweet Dreams of Joy” – Viva Verdi!

• “Train Dreams” – Train Dreams

Best Documentary Feature

• The Alabama Solution

• Come See Me in the Good Light

• Cutting Through Rocks

• Mr. Nobody Against Putin

• The Perfect Neighbor

Best Documentary Short

• All the Empty Rooms

• Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud

• Children No More: “Were and Are Gone”

• The Devil Is Busy

• Perfectly a Strangeness

Best International Feature

• Brazil – The Secret Agent

• France – It Was Just an Accident

• Norway – Sentimental Value

• Spain – Sirât

• Tunisia – The Voice of Hind Rajab

Best Animated Feature

• Arco

• Elio

• KPop Demon Hunters

• Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

• Zootopia 2

Best Film Editing

• F1 – Stephen Mirrione

• Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie

• One Battle After Another – Andy Jurgensen

• Sentimental Value – Olivier Bugge Coutté

• Sinners – Michael Shawver

Best Production Design

• Frankenstein – Tamara Deverell

• Hamnet – Fiona Crombie

• Marty Supreme – Jack Fisk

• One Battle After Another – Florencia Martin

• Sinners – Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Monique Champagne

Best Cinematography

• Frankenstein – Dan Laustsen

• Marty Supreme – Darius Khondji

• One Battle After Another – Michael Bauman

• Sinners – Autumn Durald Arkapaw

• Train Dreams – Adolpho Veloso

Best Sound

• F1

• Frankenstein

• One Battle After Another

• Sinners

• Sirât

• Train Dreams

Best Visual Effects

• Avatar: Fire and Ash

• F1

• Jurassic World Rebirth

• The Lost Bus

• Sinners