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: November 22nd, 2025
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 | No Other Choice | NEON | Park Chan-wook |
| 7 | Frankenstein | Netflix | J. Miles Dale, Guillermo Del Toro, Scott Stuber, Gary Ungar |
| 8 | It Was Just An Accident | NEON | Philippe Martin, Jafar Panahi, David Thion |
| 9 | Avatar: Fire and Ash | 20th Century Studios | James Cameron, Jon Landau |
| 10 | Jay Kelly | Netflix | Noah Baumbach, David Heyman, Amy Pascal |
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 | Jafar Panahi | It Was Just An Accident |
| 5 | Josh Safdie | Marty Supreme |
| 6 | Joachim Trier | Sentimental Value |
| 7 | James Cameron | Avatar: Fire and Ash |
| 8 | Kleber Mendonça Filho | The Secret Agent |
| 9 | Guillermo del Toro | Frankenstein |
| 10 | Park Chan-wook | No Other Choice |
Timothée Chalamet Credit: Courtesy of A24
Best Actor
| Ranking | Actor | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Timothee Chamalet | Marty Supreme |
| 2 | Leonardo DiCaprio | One Battle After Another |
| 3 | Wagner Moura | The Secret Agent |
| 4 | Ethan Hawke | Blue Moon |
| 5 | Michael B. Jordan | Sinners |
| 6 | Joel Edgerton | Train Dreams |
| 7 | George Clooney | Jay Kelly |
| 8 | Jeremy Allen White | Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere |
| 9 | Dwayne Johnson | The Smashing Machine |
| 10 | Daniel Day Lewis | Anemone |
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 | Actress | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessie Buckley | Hamnet |
| 2 | Renate Reinsve | Sentimental Value |
| 3 | Chase Infiniti | One Battle After Another |
| 4 | Rose Byrne | If I Had Legs I'd Kick You |
| 5 | Cynthia Erivo | Wicked: For Good |
| 6 | Amanda Seyfried | The Testament of Ann Lee |
| 7 | Tessa Thompson | Hedda |
| 8 | Emma Stone | Bugonia |
| 9 | Jennifer Lawrence | Die My Love |
| 10 | Kate Hudson | Song Sung Blue |
Ariana Grande as Glinda in ‘Wicked: Part Two’ | Image copyright (©) Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Best Supporting Actress
| Ranking | Actress | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teyana Taylor | One Battle After Another |
| 2 | Inga Ibsdotter | Sentimental Value |
| 3 | Odessa Azion | Marty Supreme |
| 4 | Elle Fanning | Sentimental Value |
| 5 | Ariana Grande | Wicked: For Good |
| 6 | Regina Hall | One Battle After Another |
| 7 | Wunmi Mosaku | Sinners |
| 8 | Nina Hoss | Hedda |
| 9 | Gwenyth Paltrow | Marty Supreme |
| 10 | Amy Madigan | Weapons |
Stellan-Skarsgård in Sentimental Value | Photo by Tuxen-Andersen | Courtesy of NEON
Best Supporting Actor
| Ranking | Actor | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stellan Skarsgård | Sentimental Value |
| 2 | Paul Mescal | Hamnet |
| 3 | Sean Penn | One Battle After Another |
| 4 | Jacob Elordi | Frankenstein |
| 5 | Benicio Del Toro | One Battle After Another |
| 6 | Adam Sandler | Jay Kelly |
| 7 | Delroy Lindo | Sinners |
| 8 | Andrew Scott | Blue Moon |
| 9 | Jeremy Strong | Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere |
| 10 | Jonathan Bailey | Wicked: For Good |
LEONARDO DICAPRIO as Bob Ferguson in “One Battle After Another.”
Best Adapted Screenplay
| Ranking | Writer(s) | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Thomas Anderson | One Battle After Another |
| 2 | Maggie O'Farrell, Chloe Zhao | Hamnet |
| 3 | Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar | Train Dreams |
| 4 | Guillermo del Toro | Frankenstein |
| 5 | Rian Johnson | Wake Up Dead Man |
| 6 | Will Tracy | Bugonia |
| 7 | Nia DaCosta | Hedda |
| 8 | Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Jahyee Lee | No Other Choice |
| 9 | Holly Gent, Vincent Palmo | Nouvelle Vague |
| 10 | James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver | Avatar: Fire and Ash |
(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 | Writer(s) | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Coogler | Sinners |
| 2 | Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt | Sentimental Value |
| 3 | Eva Victor | Sorry, Baby |
| 4 | Jafar Panahi, Nader Saeivar, Shadmehr Rastin, Mehdi Mahmoudian | It Was Just an Accident |
| 5 | Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie | Marty Supreme |
| 6 | Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer | Jay Kelly |
| 7 | Robert Kaplow | Blue Moon |
| 8 | Kleber Mendonça Filho | The Secret Agent |
| 9 | Will Arnett, Mark Chappell, Bradley Cooper, John Bishop | Is This Thing On |
| 10 | Brady Corbert, Mona Fastvold | The Testament of Ann Lee |
(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 | Daniel Blumberg | The Testament of Ann Lee |
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 | Last Time (I Seen the Sun) | Miles Caton, Ludwig Göransson and Alice Smith | Sinners |
| 4 | Clothed By the Sun | Daniel Blumberg | Testament of Ann Lee |
| 5 | Dear Me | Dianne 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 | No Other Choice | South Korea | NEON |
| 4 | Left-Handed Girl | Taiwan | Netflix |
| 5 | The Secret Agent | Brazil | 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 | In Your Dreams | Netflix |
(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 | Dylan Cole, Vanessa Cole, Ben Procter | Avatar: Fire & Ash | Apple/Warner Bros. |
| 3 | Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales | Wicked: For Good | 20th Century Studios |
| 4 | Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton | Hamnet | Universal Pictures |
| 5 | Hannah Bleachler, Monique Champagne | Sinners | Warner Bros. |
(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 | 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 | F1 | Apple | |
| 4 | Stephane Ceretti, Enrico Damm, Stéphane Nazé, Guy Williams | Superman | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| 5 | Alex Wuttke, lan Lowe (Special Effects Supervisor), Jeff Sutherland (ILM Visual Effects Supervisor), Kirstin Hall (MPC Visual Effects Supervisor) | Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning | Paramount Pictures |
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 | Jack Dolman, Simon Hayes, John Marquis, Andy Nelson, Nancy Nugent Title | Wicked: For Good | Universal Pictures |
| 5 | Jose Antonio Garcia, Christopher Scarabosio, Tony Villaflor | One Battle After Another | Warner Bros. |
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 | Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk | New Story |
| 5 | 2000 Meters to Andriivka | PBS Distribution |