2026 Oscars Predictions: Who Will Win Hollywood’s Biggest Night?

The 98th Academy Awards are nearly upon us, and the race is tight in many categories. After a lengthy awards season, the final predictions are in, with “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners” emerging as the frontrunners. Here’s a breakdown of who is expected to win at the ceremony on March 15th, 2026.

Best Picture

The competition for Best Picture is between Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” and Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners.” Although both films have garnered critical acclaim and commercial success, “One Battle After Another” currently has a slight edge in predictions . Both films possess significant cultural relevance.

Nominees include: “Bugonia,” “F1,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “The Secret Agent,” “Sentimental Value,” and “Train Dreams” .

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Michael B. Jordan’s performance in “Sinners” has gained momentum, securing a win at the SAG Awards and making him a strong contender for the Oscar .

Nominees are: Timothée Chalamet (“Marty Supreme”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“One Battle After Another”), Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”), and Wagner Moura (“The Secret Agent”) .

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Jessie Buckley’s performance in “Hamnet” is widely predicted to win the Best Actress award .

Nominees include: Rose Byrne (“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”), Kate Hudson (“Song Sung Blue”), Renate Reinsve (“Sentimental Value”), and Emma Stone (“Bugonia”) .

Best Supporting Actor and Actress

Delroy Lindo is favored to win Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Sinners” , while Teyana Taylor is predicted to take home the Best Supporting Actress award for “One Battle After Another” .

Other nominees for Best Supporting Actor include: Benicio Del Toro (“One Battle After Another”), Jacob Elordi (“Frankenstein”), and Sean Penn (“One Battle After Another”), and Stellan Skarsgård (“Sentimental Value”) .

Other nominees for Best Supporting Actress include: Elle Fanning (“Sentimental Value”), Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (“Sentimental Value”), Amy Madigan (“Weapons”), and Wunmi Mosaku (“Sinners”) .

Best Directing

Ryan Coogler is the predicted winner for Best Directing for his function on “Sinners” .

Best Casting

“Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another,” “The Secret Agent,” and “Sinners” are all nominated for the new category of Best Casting .

The 98th Academy Awards promises to be a memorable night, celebrating the best in film from the past year.