Oscar Nominations 2026 Predictions: Will ‘One Battle After Another’ Shine and Can ‘Homebound’ Make the Cut?

As the excitement for the Oscar nominations builds, the film industry is buzzing with anticipation. The nominations will be announced on January 22 at 7 PM IST. This year, the spotlight is on some highly acclaimed films that are expected to earn multiple nominations.

One Battle After Another poised for success

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, 'One Battle After Another' has been a frontrunner in various precursor awards. At the Golden Globes, it secured wins for Best Picture (Comedy or Musical) and Best Director, along with nominations for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Teyana Taylor.

This film has a strong chance of achieving nominations for its outstanding cast, which includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor, across all four acting categories. If successful, it would become only the 16th film to achieve this feat in Oscar history, with the last being 'American Hustle' in 2013.

Potential nominations for 'One Battle After Another' include:

• Best Picture
• Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson)
• Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio)
• Best Actress (Chase Infiniti)
• Best Supporting Actress (Teyana Taylor)
• Best Supporting Actor (Sean Penn)
• Best Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro)
• Best Adapted Screenplay
• Best Casting
• Best Cinematography
• Best Film Editing
• Best Makeup & Hairstyling
• Best Score
• Best Sound

'Sinners' aims for historic nominations

Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners' is also making waves, with forecasts suggesting it might receive up to 14 nominations. This horror thriller, led by Michael B. Jordan, is expected to excel in various craft categories, as well as in Best Picture and Best Director. Achieving this would place it among the elite films with the most nominations, including 'All About Eve' (1950), 'Titanic' (1997), and 'La La Land' (2016).

Possible nominations for 'Sinners' include:

• Best Picture
• Best Director (Ryan Coogler)
• Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan)
• Best Supporting Actress (Wunmi Mosaku)
• Best Original Screenplay
• Best Casting
• Best Cinematography
• Best Costume Design
• Best Film Editing
• Best Makeup & Hairstyling
• Best Production Design
• Best Score
• Best Song ('I Lied to You')
• Best Sound

The Fate of India's 'Homebound'

All eyes are on the Best International Feature Film category, where India's 'Homebound' is vying for a nomination. This year’s competition is fierce, with notable contenders like Norway's 'Sentimental Value', Brazil's 'The Secret Agent', and France's 'It Was Just an Accident'. However, 'Homebound', directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, could still secure a spot in a highly competitive field.

Other anticipated contenders for nominations include Chloe Zhao's 'Hamnet', Guillermo Del Toro's 'Frankenstein', Josh Safdie's 'Marty Supreme', Jon M. Chu's 'Wicked: For Good', and Clint Bentley's 'Train Dreams'.