Oscar night is right around the corner and we couldn’t be more excited to discover who will sweep and who will go home empty-handed this Sunday 15 March!

Some dreams will come true, some acceptance speeches will definitely run too long, and at least one orchestra cue will politely suggest someone wrap it up.

Before the envelopes are opened and the statues handed out, we’re taking a look at the films leading the race and the categories that could steal the show…

Ready for a record-breaking night?

The Top Contenders

Every year, a few films rise above the rest and start popping up in nomination after nomination.

This year, that film is SINNERS, which has stormed the Oscars with an astonishing 16 nominations - the most ever received by a single film in Academy Awards history. From acting categories to technical awards like cinematography and costume design, it seems the Academy couldn’t get enough.

Close behind is ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, which secured 13 nominations, making it another major contender across several categories.

Several other films are also making their presence felt across multiple categories, including SENTIMENTAL VALUE and MARTY SUPREME, with nine nominations each.

Safe to say we’ll be hearing about these titles more than once on Sunday night! 

Best Picture

At the heart of the Oscars is the Award every film hopes to take home: Best Picture.

This year’s nominees offer an eclectic mix of stories and styles, from ambitious blockbusters to intimate dramas.

Much of the spotlight is currently on SINNERS, with its record-breaking nomination count. If it takes home the top prize, producer Zinzi Coogler would become the first Black woman ever to win the Oscar for Best Film -  a landmark moment in the Academy Awards history. 

But ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER isn’t far behind and could easily spoil the party. With 13 nominations and plenty of awards-season buzz, it’s firmly in the race! 

Best Director

This year’s Best Director nominees include some of the most exciting filmmakers working today.

HAMNET’s Chloé Zhao continues to make history with her nomination. After Jane Campion, she’s only the second woman ever nominated for Best Director twice (Zhao’s first nomination – and win – was for Nomadland in 2021), and the first woman of colour to reach that milestone.

Then there’s ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER’s Paul Thomas Anderson (whom you might also know from THERE WILL BE BLOOD and PHANTOM THREAD), who is the clear favourite, after picking up the Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award, BAFTA and Directors Guild Award. This would be his first ever Oscar win in 30 years as a director! 

But SINNERS’ Ryan Coogler could make history if he wins, becoming the first Black filmmaker ever to receive the Oscar for Best Director. 

The stakes have never been higher! 

Actress in a Leading Role

This year, Emma Stone returns to the category with another acclaimed performance in BUGONIA (her fourth collaboration with Yorgos Lanthimos: her leading performance in the director’s POOR THINGS won her a Oscar in 2023) and the chance to join a very exclusive club. If she wins, she would become one of the few actors in history to take home more than three Oscars for acting - not bad for someone who’s not even 40 years old! 

However, the awards-season momentum is currently with Jessie Buckley and her earth-shattering performance in HAMNET, which has already earnt her all the major precursor awards including Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics Choice and Actor Award - and made her the first Irish actress to win for Leading Actress in all four ceremonies. 

Of course, this is the Academy Awards, where surprises have been known to happen… 

Actor in a Leading Role

If you enjoy a category stacked with interesting milestones, Best Actor is the one to watch this year!

SINNERS' Michael B. Jordan has delivered one of the year’s most talked-about performances, playing twin characters in a role that both critics and audiences have been raving about. If he wins, he’ll become the first actor ever to win an Oscar for portraying twins.

Meanwhile Timothée Chalamet continues to make awards history at an impressively young age. With this nomination for his leading role in MARTY SUPREME, he becomes the youngest actor since Marlon Brando to earn three acting nominations. At 30 years old, he’s also the youngest person to ever be nominated for both acting and producing in the same year. 

And THE SECRET AGENT’s Wagner Moura has already made history simply by being nominated, becoming the first Brazilian man ever recognised in the Best Actor category. 

No pressure guys! 

Other Awards to look out for:

Actor in a Supporting Role

The Supporting Actor category often delivers some of the most memorable wins of the night, and sometimes the biggest surprises…

SENTIMENTAL VALUE’s Stellan Skarsgård has already secured his place in the history books, becoming the first actor nominated in this category for a performance in a non-English international feature film.

Meanwhile, Sean Penn could join an extremely small group of performers if he wins for his performance in ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER. Another acting Oscar would place him among the very few actors with more than three Academy Awards for acting!

And then there’s SINNERS’ Delroy Lindo, who has quietly become one of the most intriguing contenders of the season. Despite not appearing in several of the major precursor awards earlier in the year, he remains firmly in the conversation -  and could become the first male performer to win without those nominations. 

Don’t be surprised if this category throws us a curveball! 

Best Costume Design

Few costume designers have shaped Oscar history quite like SINNERS’ Ruth E. Carter, and this year she reaches another impressive milestone…

Her nomination for SINNERS marks her fifth Academy Award nomination, after being recognised for MALCOLM X, AMISTAD, BLACK PANTHER and BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER - making her the most-nominated Black woman in Oscar history across any category! 

But could Kate Hawley collect the award for FRANKENSTEIN with her first ever Oscar nomination? She's already got the BAFTA and Critics Choice.

Best Cinematography

The cinematography race this year also carries the possibility of a historic win.

If Autumn Durald Arkapaw takes home the award for her work on SINNERS, she will become not only the first woman, but also the first Black cinematographer to ever win the Oscar in this category! 

Lights, Camera, Oscars!

With record-breaking nominations, historic milestones on the line and several genuinely tight races, the 2026 Oscars promise to be another memorable night in Hollywood!

Will Sinners turn its 16 nominations into a historic sweep?
Will Timothée Chalamet crown his Oscar dream?
Will Paul Thomas Anderson complete his awards-season victory lap and finally earn an Academy Award?
Or will the Academy deliver a few classic Oscar surprises?

We’ll find out on Sunday 15 March. 

Until then, start making your predictions - and maybe keep your acceptance speech handy, just in case.