Next year’s Oscar race comes ever-so-slightly more into focus today as the Academy shares its shortlists for 12 categories at the 98th ceremony. Notably, the 2026 Oscars will be the first ceremony to feature an award for casting directors, and we now know for sure that Sinners, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, and Weapons are among the films that could potentially go home with the inaugural Oscar.
Overall, Sinners and Wicked: For Good lead the list today, with both films grabbing eight spots across seven different categories. (Both have two entries on the Best Original Song list.) Frankenstein follows behind with six spots, followed then by One Battle After Another and Sirât, each with five nods. Of course, a good chunk of these preliminary spots won’t lead to an actual nomination. Many of the shortlists have at least 15 contenders (with Original Score having 20) in categories that will only ultimately nominate five films.
The full list of 2026 Oscar nominations will be unveiled on January 22, 2026. The ceremony will air on March 15, 2026 on ABC. Take a peek at all of the shortlisted nominees below.
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Autokar
Butterfly
Cardboard
Éiru
Forevergreen
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Hurikán
I Died In Irpin
The Night Boots
Playing God
The Quinta’s Ghost
Retirement Plan
The Shyness Of Trees
Snow Bear
The Three Sisters
CASTING
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sirât
Weapons
Wicked: For Good
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ballad Of A Small Player
Bugonia
Die My Love
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Nouvelle Vague
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sirât
Song Sung Blue
Sound Of Falling
Train Dreams
Wicked: For Good
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
The Alabama Solution
Apocalypse In The Tropics
Coexistence, My Ass!
Come See Me In The Good Light
Cover-Up
Cutting Through Rocks
Folktales
Holding Liat
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Mistress Dispeller
My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 – Last Air In Moscow
The Perfect Neighbor
Seeds
2000 Meters To Andriivka
Yanuni
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
All The Empty Rooms
All The Walls Came Down
Armed Only With A Camera: The Life And Death Of Brent Renaud
Bad Hostage
Cashing Out
Chasing Time
Children No More: Were and Are Gone
Classroom 4
The Devil Is Busy
Heartbeat
Last Days On Lake Trinity
On Healing Land, Birds Perch
Perfectly A Strangeness
Rovina’s Choice
We Were The Scenery
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Argentina, Belén
Brazil, The Secret Agent
France, It Was Just An Accident
Germany, Sound Of Falling
India, Homebound
Iraq, The President’s Cake
Japan, Kokuho
Jordan, All That’s Left Of You
Norway, Sentimental Value
Palestine, Palestine 36
South Korea, No Other Choice
Spain, Sirât
Switzerland, Late Shift
Taiwan, Left-Handed Girl
Tunisia, The Voice Of Hind Rajab
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
Ado
Amarela
Beyond Silence
The Boy With White Skin
Butcher’s Stain
Butterfly On A Wheel
Dad’s Not Home
Extremist
A Friend Of Dorothy
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
Pantyhose
The Pearl Comb
Rock, Paper, Scissors
The Singers
Two People Exchanging Saliva
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
The Alto Knights
Frankenstein
Kokuho
Marty Supreme
Nuremberg
One Battle After Another
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
The Ugly Stepsister
Wicked: For Good
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Avatar: Fire And Ash
Bugonia
Captain America: Brave New World
Diane Warren: Relentless
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Hedda
A House Of Dynamite
Jay Kelly
Marty Supreme
Nuremberg
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirât
Train Dreams
Tron: Ares
Truth and Treason
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Wicked: For Good
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
“As Alive As You Need Me To Be” from Tron: Ares
“Dear Me from Diane Warren: Relentless
“Dream As One” from Avatar: Fire and Ash
“Drive” from F1
“Dying To Live” from Billy Idol Should Be Dead
“The Girl In The Bubble” from Wicked: For Good
“Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters
“Highest 2 Lowest” from Highest 2 Lowest
“I Lied To You” from Sinners
“Last Time (I Seen The Sun)” from Sinners
“No Place Like Home” from Wicked: For Good
“Our Love” from The Ballad of Wallis Island
“Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from Come See Me in the Good Light
“Sweet Dreams Of Joy” from Viva Verdi!
“Train Dreams” from Train Dreams
SOUND
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Frankenstein
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirât
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Superman
Wicked: For Good
VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash
The Electric State
F1
Frankenstein
Jurassic World Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners
Superman
Tron: Ares
Wicked: For Good