2026 Oscar Nominations Predictions: What to Watch

With Oscar nominations set to be announced this week, the L.A. Times’ awards forecast points to a year where ambition—and international cinema—could dominate the conversation. The analysis suggests a best picture slate that leans prestige-heavy while still leaving room for a few unpredictable late-breakers, especially as some high-profile sequels appear to have lost momentum.

In the directing race, the predictions largely track with major guild attention while still leaving a lane open for an internationally celebrated filmmaker to claim a spot—continuing a trend of global representation in the category. The acting categories, meanwhile, look like a split between star power and breakout turns, with a few performances positioned as “safe” picks and others hovering right on the bubble depending on how voters consolidate.

The piece also highlights screenplay races where tone and structure matter: one predicted contender is praised for tackling difficult subject matter with wit and an unconventional narrative approach, while other likely nominees include filmmaker-driven projects and adaptations with strong literary pedigree. International feature is framed as unusually competitive, with multiple films expected to contend for both that category and potentially broader recognition.

In animation, the forecast points to a clear separation between the biggest crowd-pleasers and the rest of the field, while the documentary predictions emphasize politically and socially urgent storytelling—along with a reminder that the documentary branch can be famously contrarian when it comes to “popular favorites.”