Each week, on this very tab, thingy thing thing, I will be sharing with you my predictions for this upcoming 2025-2026 Oscar season. These will all being based on the amount of screenings and receptions I’ve been attending in NYC—still weird how I have access to these rooms. Let's go, imposter syndrome, baby—statistics via award wins at smaller festivals, discussions with industry folx, and more.
Last updated: January 10th, 2026
Caption: (L-r) LEONARDO DICAPRIO as Bob Ferguson and BENICIO DEL TORO as Sensei in “One Battle After Another.”
Best Picture
| Ranking | Film | Studio | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One Battle After Another | Warner Bros. Pictures | Paul Thomas Anderson, Sara Murphy, Adam Somner, JoAnne Sellar |
| 2 | Sinners | Warner Bros. Pictures | Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian |
| 3 | Hamnet | Focus Features | Nicolas Gonda, Pippa Harris, Liza Marshall, Sam Mendes, Steven Spielberg |
| 4 | Marty Supreme | A24 | Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Timothée Chalamet, Anthony Katagas, Josh Safdie |
| 5 | Sentimental Value | NEON | Andrew Berenstsen Ottmar, Maria Ekerhovd |
| 6 | Frankenstein | Netflix | J. Miles Dale, Guillermo Del Toro, Scott Stuber, Gary Ungar |
| 7 | It Was Just An Accident | NEON | Philippe Martin, Jafar Panahi, David Thion |
| 8 | The Secret Agent | NEON | Emilie Lesclaux, Kleber Mendonça Filho |
| 9 | Train Dreams | Netflix | Michael Heimler, Will Janowitz, Marissa McMahon, Ashley Schlaifer, Teddy Schwarzman |
| 10 | Bugonia | Focus Features | Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen, Miky Lee, Jerry Kyoungboum Ko |
Caption: (L-r) TEYANA TAYLOR as Perfidia and LEONARDO DICAPRIO as Bob Ferguson in “One Battle After Another.”
A Warner Bros. Pictures Release.
Best Director
| Ranking | Director | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Thomas Anderson | One Battle After Another |
| 2 | Ryan Coogler | Sinners |
| 3 | Chloe Zhao | Hamnet |
| 4 | Josh Safdie | Marty Supreme |
| 5 | Guillermo del Toro | Frankenstein |
Timothée Chalamet Credit: Courtesy of A24
Best Actor
| Ranking | Director | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Timothée Chamalet | Marty Supreme |
| 2 | Ethan Hawke | Blue Moon |
| 3 | Wagner Moura | The Secret Agent |
| 4 | Leonardo DiCaprio | One Battle After Another |
| 5 | Michael B. Jordan | Sinners |
Jessie Buckley stars as Agnes and Joe Alwyn as Bartholomew in director Chloé Zhao’s HAMNET, a Focus Features release. Credit: Agata Grzybowska / © 2025 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
Best Actress
| Ranking | Director | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessie Buckley | Hamnet |
| 2 | Rose Byrne | If I Had Legs I'd Kick You |
| 3 | Renate Reinsve | Sentimental Value |
| 4 | Amanda Seyfried | The Testament of Ann Lee |
| 5 | Emma Stone | Bugonia |
Ariana Grande as Glinda in ‘Wicked: Part Two’ | Image copyright (©) Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Best Supporting Actress
| Ranking | Director | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teyana Taylor | One Battle After Another |
| 2 | Amy Madigan | Weapons |
| 3 | Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas | Sentimental Value |
| 4 | Wunmi Mosaku | Sinners |
| 5 | Ariana Grande | Wicked: For Good |
Stellan-Skarsgård in Sentimental Value | Photo by Tuxen-Andersen | Courtesy of NEON
Best Supporting Actor
| Ranking | Director | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benicio Del Toro | One Battle After Another |
| 2 | Jacob Elordi | Frankenstein |
| 3 | Paul Mescal | Hamnet |
| 4 | Stellan Skarsgård | Sentimental Value |
| 5 | Sean Penn | One Battle After Another |
LEONARDO DICAPRIO as Bob Ferguson in “One Battle After Another.”
Best Adapted Screenplay
| Ranking | Director | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Thomas Anderson | One Battle After Another |
| 2 | Maggie O'Farrell, Chloe Zhao | Hamnet |
| 3 | Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar | Train Dreams |
| 4 | Will Tracy | Bugonia |
| 5 | Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Jahyee Lee | No Other Choice |
(L to r) MICHAEL B. JORDAN as Smoke and MILES CATON as Sammie Moore in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “SINNERS,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Best Original Screenplay
| Ranking | Director | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Coogler | Sinners |
| 2 | Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt | Sentimental Value |
| 3 | Eva Victor | Sorry, Baby |
| 4 | Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie | Marty Supreme |
| 5 | Weapons | Zach Cregger |
(L to r) MICHAEL B. JORDAN as Smoke, WUNMI MOSAKU as Annie, HAILEE STEINFELD as Mary, MICHAEL B. JORDAN as Stack, MILES CATON as Sammie and OMAR BENSON MILLER as Cornbread in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “SINNERS,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Best Original Score
| Ranking | Composer | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ludwig Göransson | Sinners |
| 2 | Jonny Greenwood | One Battle After Another |
| 3 | Nicholas Britell | Jay Kelly |
| 4 | Max Richter | Hamnet |
| 5 | Alexandre Desplat | Frankenstein |
KPop Demon Hunters Credit: Netflix Copyright ©2025 Netflix
Best Original Song
| Ranking | Song | Songwriter(s) | Film |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golden | EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick | KPOP Demon Hunters |
| 2 | I Lied to You | Ludwig Göransson and Raphael Saadiq | Sinners |
| 3 | Train Dreams | Nick Cave | Train Dreams |
| 4 | The Girl in the Bubble | Stephen Schwartz | Wicked: For Good |
| 5 | Dear Me | Diane Warren | Diane Warren: Relentless |
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT - Courtesy of NEON
Best International Feature
| Ranking | Film | Country | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | It Was Just an Accident | France | NEON |
| 2 | Sentimental Value | Norway | NEON |
| 3 | The Secret Agent | Brazil | NEON |
| 4 | No Other Choice | South Korea | NEON |
| 5 | Sirât | Spain | NEON |
KPop Demon Hunters Credit: Netflix Copyright ©2025 Netflix
Best Animated Feature
| Ranking | Film | Studio |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | KPOP Demon Hunters | Netflix |
| 2 | Arco | NEON |
| 3 | Little Amélie or the Character of Rain | GKIDS |
| 4 | Zootopia 2 | Disney |
| 5 | Elio | Disney |
(L-r) JAYME LAWSON as Pearline, WUNMI MOSAKU as Annie, MICHAEL B. JORDAN as Smoke, MILES CATON as Sammie Moore, and LI JUN LI as Grace Chow, in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “SINNERS,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Best Casting
| Ranking | Casting Director | Film | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Francine Maisler | Sinners | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| 2 | Cassandra Kulukundis | One Battle After Another | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| 3 | Tiffany Little Canfield & Bernard Telsey | Wicked For Good | Universal Pictures |
| 4 | Nina Gold | Hamnet | Focus Features |
| 5 | Jennifer Venditti | Marty Supreme | A24 |
MILES CATON as Sammie Moore in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “SINNERS,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Best Cinematography
| Ranking | Director of Photography | Film | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Autumn Durald Arkapaw | Sinners | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| 2 | Michael Bauman | One Battle After Another | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| 3 | Lukasz Zal | Hamnet | Focus Features |
| 4 | Adolpho Veloso | Train Dreams | Netflix |
| 5 | Darius Khondji | Marty Supreme | A24 |
FRANKENSTEIN. Jacob Elordi as The Creature in Frankenstein. Cr. Ken Woroner/Netflix © 2025.
Best Costume Design
| Ranking | Costume Designer | Film | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kate Hawley | Frankenstein | Netflix |
| 2 | Ruth E. Carter | Sinners | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| 3 | Paul Tazewell | Wicked For Good | Universal Pictures |
| 4 | Malgosia Turzanska | Hamnet | Focus Features |
| 5 | Malgorzata Karpiuk | The Testament of Ann Lee | Searchlight Pictures |
Frankenstein. Oscar Issac as Victor Frankenstein in Frankenstein . Cr. Ken Woroner/Netflix © 2025
Best Production Design
| Ranking | Production Designer(s) | Film | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau | Frankenstein | Warner Bros. |
| 2 | Hannah Bleachler, Monique Champagne | Sinners | Warner Bros. |
| 3 | Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton | Hamnet | Universal Pictures |
| 4 | Jack Fisk, Adam Willis | Marty Supreme | A24 |
| 5 | Dylan Cole, Ben Procter, Vanessa Cole | Avatar: Fire and Ash | 20th Century Studios |
(L-r) TEYANA TAYLOR as Perfidia and LEONARDO DI CAPRIO as Bob Ferguson in “One Battle After Another.” A Warner Bros. Pictures Release.
Best Film Editing
| Ranking | Editor(s) | Film | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andy Jurgensen | One Battle After Another | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| 2 | Michael P. Shawver | Sinners | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| 3 | Stephen Mirrione | F1 | Apple |
| 4 | Affonso Gonçalves, Chloé Zhao | Hamnet | Focus Features |
| 5 | Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie | Marty Supreme | A24 |
Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios' AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Best VFX
| Ranking | Visual Effects Supervisors | Film | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett | Avatar: Fire & Ash | 20th Century Studios |
| 2 | Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, Dale Newton (Animation Supervisor), Paul Corbould (Special Effects Supervisor) | Wicked: For Good | Universal Pictures |
| 3 | Ryan Tudhope, Nikeah Forde, Robert Harrington, Nicolas Chevallier, Eric Leven, Edward Price, Keith Dawson | F1 | Apple |
| 4 | Stephane Ceretti, Enrico Damm, Stéphane Nazé, Guy Williams | Superman | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| 5 | Dennis Berardi, Ayo Burgess, Ivan Busquets, and José Granell | Frankenstein | Netflix |
MICHAEL B. JORDAN as Smoke and Stack in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “SINNERS,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Best Sound
| Ranking | Sound Team | Film | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve Boeddeker, Benny Burt, David V. Butler, Brandon Proctor, Chris Welcker | Sinners | Warner Bros. |
| 2 | Luke Dunn Gielmuda, Juan Peralta, Gary A. Rizzo | F1 | Apple/Warner Bros. |
| 3 | Brent Burge, Melanie Graham, Michael Hedges, Gary Summers | Avatar: Fire & Ash | 20th Century Studios |
| 4 | Jose Antonio Garcia, Christopher Scarabosio, Tony Villaflor | One Battle After Another | Warner Bros. |
| 5 | Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas, Yasmina Praderas | Sirât | NEON |
Frankenstein. Jacob Elordi as The Creature in Frankenstein . Cr. Ken Woroner/Netflix © 2025.
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
| Ranking | Hair and Makeup Department Heads and Designers | Film | Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Hill | Frankenstein | Netflix |
| 2 | Laura Blount, Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth | Wicked: For Good | Universal Pictures |
| 3 | Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, Siân Richards, Shunika Terry | Sinners | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| 4 | Felix Fox, Kazu Hiro, Mia Neal | The Smashing Machine | A24 |
| 5 | Kay Georgiou, Kyra Panchenko, Mike Fontaine | Marty Supreme | A24 |
The Perfect Neighbor. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix
Best Documentary Feature
| Ranking | Documentary | Studio |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Perfect Neighbor | Netflix |
| 2 | Cover-Up | Netflix |
| 3 | The Alabama Solution | HBO |
| 4 | My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 – Last Air in Moscow | Marminchilla |
| 5 | 2000 Meters to Andriivka | PBS Distribution |