Oscar nominations 2026 – live: Start time, how to watch and predictions ahead of today’s contenders reveal

I’m gonna throw it out there: I think this could be the best year in a long while for Best Pic noms.

One Battle After Another (this will win)

It’s wild that Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread) has never won an Oscar before. That will change in March.

Here’s our predictions for who’ll be joining him in this particular category:

Gullermo del Toro – Frankenstein (the Academy LOVES him)

Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value

This is a two-horse race between Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme) and Wagner Moura for Brazilian film The Secret Agent.

Michael B Jordan will deservedly be nominated for his role as twins in Sinners and, of course, Leonardo DiCaprio will be there for One Battle After Another.

That fifth nomination is more uncertain, but it’s out of Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Jesse Plemons (Bugonia) and Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams).

This is the category that is essentially already decided – Hamnet star Jessie Buckley’s name may as well be carved on that trophy right now.

But who’ll be joining her in the category remains to be seen. There are options for a few snubs here (Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee, Tessa Thompson – Hedda , Jennifer Lawrence – Die, My Love ), and the below is our prediction of who will join Buckley:

Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another

Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value

Today will mark Stellan Skarsgård’s first-ever Oscar nomination; it’s about time. With any luck, he’ll win for his role in Sentimental Value.

Elsewhere, the One Battle boys Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn will likely show up – and we’re hoping to see Sinners rising star Miles Caton, too. For that to happen, Paul Mescal will have to miss for Hamnet, because the fourth slot is going to Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein.

Sadly, it seems Adam Sandler will miss for his charming turn in Jay Kelly. One day, Adam!

One Battle After Another’s Teyana Taylor looks set to win this category, so expect a nomination – and it’ll be great (if somewhat bizarre) to see Amy Madigan honoured for the fearsome Aunt Gladys in Weapons.

Rounding out our predictions are:

Odessa A’zion – Marty Supreme (this would be a welcome surprise)

Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value

If (when) Timothée Chalamet receives his third Best Actor nomination today, he’ll become the youngest actor to have done so since Marlon Brando in 1954.

The Marty Supreme star was previously nominated for Call Me by Your Name and Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.

Amanda Seyfried is in the running for an Oscar nomination for The Testament of Ann Lee – but receiving an award isn’t high up on her list of priorities.

“Do you remember who won in the past ten years?” she asked The New Yorker this week.

“Now, do I need one in a week or two or whenever? No, of course, I don’t. Would it be great? Of course it would, for every reason – but it isn’t necessary.”

That would be actors Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman.

Pacemaker star Brooks was nominated in 2024 for her role in The Color Purple while Pullman is best known for his roles in Top Gun: Maverick and last year’s Marvel film Thunderbolts. And yes, his dad is Bill Pullman.

The Golden Globes took place earlier this month – and gave us our biggest indicator yet for what might win Oscars in March.