Do the Oscars have reluctancy voting for truly evil performances, such as Sean Penn in "One Battle After Another?" History suggests so.

Many of the shortlists have at least 15 contenders (with Original Score having 20) in categories that will only ultimately nominate five films. The full list of 2026 Oscar nominations will be unveiled on January 22,

Perhaps the most exciting moment of the morning, however, is that awards watchers got their first look at the brand-new Casting category, which will make its debut at the 2026 Oscar ceremony. Mostly,

Oscars best international feature predictions include "Sentimental Value," "The Secret Agent," "No Other Choice" and "The Voice of Hind Rajab."

We've decided to take all of that information and condense it into a fresh set of 2026 Oscar predictions in the major categories that consider how all of those voting bodies reacted to the cinematic year that's been.

With Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio and more in the mix, awards columnist Glenn Whipp takes the temperature of the lead actor Oscar race.

Blue Moon is a one-man stage show disguised as a movie, and its beating heart is a singular Ethan Hawke. The capstone in a rich career, Hawke's showcase has elevated him to the fifth spot on Gold Derby's predicted Best Actor Oscar nominees, and his work thoroughly merits what would be a third acting nod.

The Ryan Coogler movie and its Warner Bros. sibling ‘One Battle After Another’ are in an even hotter awards position thanks to the Netflix-Paramount war for the studio.

Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another' leads a wide-open field as the Golden Globes offer an early read on an unsettled Oscar season.