Oscars 2026: Which Film Is Leading The Race? Key Nominees, New Voting Rules, And What To Expect

The countdown for the biggest night of Hollywood, the Oscars 2026, has officially begun, and here are the key films and actors leading the race, along with some new rules added for the first time.

Hollywood's biggest night is almost here. The 98th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. The excitement is at an all-time high, as this year, some serious contenders are competing neck and neck to cinch the prestigious trophy. This year's event is expected to be a historic moment due to some fresh takes on voting rules and a few surprises. With the countdown officially beginning, here's everything you need to know about the films and actors leading the nominations for the Little Gold Man.

When and where are the Oscars 2026 happening?

The 98th Academy Awards will be held at the iconic Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, Los Angeles. The show will air live at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and can be streamed on Hulu, ensuring an uninterrupted viewership across more than 200 territories worldwide. As always, the red carpet festivities will kick off hours before the main event. 

Returning to the stage as host for the second consecutive year is comedian and talk show legend, Conan O’Brien, whose hosting last year was widely praised for blending late-night style humor with the ceremony’s traditional tone. 

Which film is dominating the nomination race?

Although this year has seen many strong performances, none have come close to the popularity of Sinners. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the Michael B. Jordan starrer has secured a historic 16 nominations, breaking ahead of the previous Oscars record of classics like All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land, which had received 14 nominations. 

Following closely behind are several other strong contenders. Leonardo DiCaprio's action-thriller One Battle After Another has secured a total of 13 nominations, and there's a good chance of winning. Following the lead are three other nominees, Timothy Chalamet's Marty Supreme, Jacob Elordi's Frankenstein, and Joachim Trier- directed tragicomedy, Sentimental Value. All three of these movies have received nine nominations. Several other films are also competing for the Best Picture category, including Bugonia, F1, and Hamnet.

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Major acting contenders and frontrunners for the Oscars 2026

The acting categories are also packed with high-profile nominees. The frontrunners for the Best Actor category are Timothee Chalamet for Marty Supreme, Michael B. Jordan for Sinners, and Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another. For the Best Actress category, Jessie Buckley is leading the race for her work in Hamnet, along with Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value, and Emma Stone for her work in Bugonia. As of now, Chalamet and Buckley appear to have a strong momentum after sweeping several major awards during the season.

Films leading the nominations for the Oscars 2026 in different categories

The films nominated in the Best Director category include Hamnet, Marty Supreme, and Sentimental Value. Meanwhile, the top contenders for Best Cinematography include Train Dreams and Marty Supreme. For the Best Visual Effects category, leading the race are major titles such as Avatar: Fire and Ash, Wicked: For Good, and Predator: Badlands.

For Best Sound, the top nominees are F1: The Movie, Sinners, and Frankenstein. Sinners is also leading the Best Film Editing category, followed closely by Hamnet, Frankenstein, One Battle After Another, and Marty Supreme. All four of these nominees are also competing for Best Production Design, with Frankenstein in the lead. 

This year's nominees for Best Animated Feature include some major contenders like Neon's Arco, Pixar's Elio, Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters, Disney's Zootopia 2, and GKIDS' Little Amélie or the Character of Rain. With KPop Demon Hunters being a huge streaming success of the season, it's in the lead.

For the Best International Feature Film category, India's entry with Homebound, starring Vishal Jethwa, Ishaan Khatter, and Janhvi Kapoor, is strongly ahead. Leading as the European critics' favourite is Sentimental Value from Norway. The other two strong contenders are No Other Choice (Iran) and Die My Love (France).

In Best Original Song, the nominated titles include Golden (KPop Demon Hunters), Train Dreams (Train Dreams), Dear Me (Relentless), I Lied to You (Sinners), and Sweet Dreams of Joy (Viva Verdi). Meanwhile, Costume Design contenders include Avatar: Fire and Ash, Marty Supreme, and Hamnet. The new Best Casting category features Hamnet, Marty Supreme, and The Secret Agent, while the Best Original Screenplay nominees include Sinners, Sentimental Value, Die My Love, Southern Vampire, and Ping Pong Dreams.

New voting rules introduced in the 2026 Oscars

The Academy has introduced a major change this year to improve the voting decisions. For the first time in the history of the Oscars, the members must confirm that they have watched all of the nominated films in a category before voting, and it will be monitored through the Academy Screening Room.

This year's theme is "A Human Touch", which means the ceremony will be highlighting a human-centred approach to creativity. Accordingly, the night has planned performances from top artists, including Brittani Howard, Shaboozey, and Raphael Saadiq. Like every year, there will also be an extended In Memorium segment to honour the industry figures who passed away last year.

Indian audiences can watch the 2026 Oscars live on Monday, March 16, 2026. starting at 4:30 a.m. IST on JioHotstar. For those watching on television, keep an eye on Star Movies, Star Movies Select, and Colors Infinity.

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