It’s Oscar season, folks, so it’s time for me to post my predictions for the 98th Academy Awards. I didn’t do very well last year; I hope I can change that this year.
There is a new category this year, “achievement in casting”. This category is long overdue. There have been some great casting choices, and the folks responsible for those decisions deserve recognition. There are countless movies where I’ve said, “So-and-so was a great casting choice”. The right person in the right role can really affect how the audience relates to the movie.
Again, I have not had the opportunity to see all the movies on the list, but I’ve tried; they are my picks for Drama Month. Look for that post early next month. Believe it or not, of all the movies I saw in theaters last year, none were nominated. You can head over to the Oscars website to see the list of nominees.
Event Details and Predictions
The 98th Academy Awards will take place on March 15th, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre, honoring movies released in 2025. Conan O’Brien is set to return as the host. With the addition of Casting, there are now 24 categories with over 50 nominated films. The movie Sinners has a whopping 16 nominations, followed by One Battle After Another with 13.
Predictions by Category
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Actor in a Leading Role | Ethan Hawke |
| Actor in a Supporting Role | Jacob Elrodi |
| Actress in a Leading Role | Jessie Buckley |
| Actress in a Supporting Role | Elle Fanning |
| Animated Feature Film | KPOP Demon Hunters |
| Animated Short Film | The Girl Who Cried Pearls |
| Cinematography | Sinners |
| Costume Design | Frankenstein |
| Directing | One Battle After Another |
| Documentary Feature Film | The Perfect Neighbor |
| Documentary Short Film | All the Empty Rooms |
| Film Editing | Sinners |
| International Feature Film | Sentimental Value |
| Makeup and Hairstyling | Frankenstein |
| Music (Original Score) | One Battle After Another |
| Music (Original Song) | Golden |
| Best Picture | One Battle After Another |
| Production Design | Frankenstein |
| Live Action Short Film | The Singers |
| Sound | F1 |
| Visual Effects | Sinners |
| Writing (Adapted Screenplay) | One Battle After Another |
| Writing (Original Screenplay) | Sinners |
| Casting | Sinners |
Several of these choices are completely off the cuff. I picked “One Battle After Another” for Best Picture because it seems to check most of the Academy’s boxes. F1 would have been my choice. While all of the Best Picture movies I watched were excellent, F1 was my favorite.
I don’t think Sinners and One Battle After Another will win nearly as many awards as they were nominated for. If you saw any of the movies nominated for Best Picture, which one was your favorite?
I still have no intention of watching the Oscars; I’m not interested in celebrity pontificating. Ricky Gervais put it best: thank God, thank your family, thank the Academy, and get off the stage.
“The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.”
– Stanley Kubrick
Leave a Reply