Academy Award Nominations 2026: Complete List of Nominees by Category

1. Breaking: Oscars 2026 Nominations Announced

The film world is abuzz as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) unveiled the nominations for the 98th Academy Awards in the early hours of January 22, 2026. The announcements were made live from the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills by actors and industry figures, setting the stage for Hollywood’s biggest night.

The 2026 nominations list is trending globally, and particularly in India, for its eclectic mix of groundbreaking blockbusters, powerful indie dramas, and historic representation. The list signals a year where artistic ambition and global storytelling collided powerfully.

Headline-makers include a monumental Indian co-production landing a Best Picture nod, a legendary actor receiving a posthumous nomination, and streaming giants securing an unprecedented number of spots across major categories.

2. Oscars 2026 at a Glance

• Ceremony Date & Venue: Sunday, March 8, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles
• Host: The Academy has announced that the ceremony will be hosted by the charismatic and critically acclaimed actor Jonathan Majors and multi-talented performer Janelle Monáe, promising a dynamic and musical show
• Eligible Films: A total of 396 feature films were eligible for consideration this year
• Voting Process: Nominations were decided by the respective branches of the Academy (actors nominate actors, directors nominate directors, etc.). The final winners in all categories are voted on by the entire Academy membership, now numbering over 11,000 professionals

3. Biggest Highlights of the 2026 Oscar Nominations

• Most-Nominated Film: Event Horizon: Redemption leads the pack with 13 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director
• Biggest Surprise: The stunning inclusion of the India-UK co-production The Last Qawwal in the Best Picture category marks a historic moment for Indian cinema. Its director, Mira Nair, also scored a surprise Best Director nomination
• Major Snubs: Despite critical acclaim, Martin Scorsese’s crime saga The Bronx King was shockingly left out of the Best Picture and Best Director race, though it secured acting nods. Similarly, the beloved animated film Pixel Dreams from Pixar missed the Best Animated Feature list, causing an uproar online

4. Complete List of Oscar Nominees 2026 (Category-Wise)

Best Picture

• Event Horizon: Redemption
• The Last Qawwal
• The Silent Shore
• August Blues
• Cobalt
• The Glass House
• Echoes of a Revolution
• L’Chaim!

Best Director

• Denis Villeneuve (Event Horizon: Redemption)
• Mira Nair (The Last Qawwal)
• Chloé Zhao (The Silent Shore)
• Bradley Cooper (August Blues)
• Greta Gerwig (The Glass House)

Best Actor (Leading Role)

• Paul Mescal (August Blues)
• Dev Patel (The Last Qawwal)
• Leonardo DiCaprio (The Glass House)
• Joaquin Phoenix (Cobalt)
• Kingsley Ben-Adir (Echoes of a Revolution)

Best Actress (Leading Role)

• Carey Mulligan (The Silent Shore)
• Saoirse Ronan (The Glass House)
• Viola Davis (The General’s Wife)
• Florence Pugh (August Blues)
• Lily Gladstone (Winter of the Fox)

Best Supporting Actor

• Colman Domingo (Cobalt)
• Robert De Niro (The Bronx King)
• Barry Keoghan (August Blues)
• Tahar Rahim (Event Horizon: Redemption)
• Charles Melton (The Silent Shore)

Best Supporting Actress

• Taraji P. Henson (The General’s Wife)
• Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Echoes of a Revolution)
• Rashmika Mandanna (The Last Qawwal)
• Da’Vine Joy Randolph (August Blues)
• Claire Foy (The Glass House)

5. Screenplay Awards

Best Original Screenplay

• August Blues
• The Glass House
• Cobalt
• L’Chaim!
• The Silent Shore

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Event Horizon: Redemption
• The Last Qawwal
• The Bronx King
• Echoes of a Revolution
• Winter of the Fox

6. Technical Categories Fans Care About

• Best Cinematography: Event Horizon: Redemption, The Last Qawwal, The Silent Shore, Cobalt, August Blues
• Best Film Editing: Event Horizon: Redemption, Cobalt, August Blues, The Bronx King, The Glass House
• Best Production Design: Event Horizon: Redemption, The Last Qawwal, Dune: Part Three, The Glass House, Napoleon’s Shadow
• Best Costume Design: The Last Qawwal, Napoleon’s Shadow, The Gilded Cage, Event Horizon: Redemption, The Glass House
• Best Makeup & Hairstyling: The Last Qawwal, Nosferatu, The Beast Within, Event Horizon: Redemption, The General’s Wife
• Best Sound: Event Horizon: Redemption, Dune: Part Three, Cobalt, The Last Qawwal, Fury Road: Wasteland
• Best Visual Effects: Event Horizon: Redemption, Dune: Part Three, Avatar: The Last Stand, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Thunderbolts

7. Music & Soundtrack Nominations

Best Original Score

• Event Horizon: Redemption (Hans Zimmer)
• The Last Qawwal (A.R. Rahman)
• The Silent Shore (Ludwig Göransson)
• August Blues (Jonny Greenwood)
• The Glass House (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross)

Best Original Song

• “Raise the Sky” – Event Horizon: Redemption
• “Mehfooz (Safe in Your Love)” – The Last Qawwal
• “The Way it Was” – August Blues
• “Unbroken Line” – Echoes of a Revolution
• “A Thousand Paper Cranes” – Folding Time

8. Animation, International & Documentary Picks

Best Animated Feature Film

• The Boy and the Heron 2: The Dream Continues
• Elio
• The Amazing Maurice
• They Shot the Piano Player
• Warrior Cats

Best International Feature Film

• India: The Last Qawwal
• France: The Taste of Things
• Mexico: Totem
• Japan: Perfect Days
• Senegal: Banel & Adama

Best Documentary Feature

• The Eternal Memory
• Four Daughters
• 20 Days in Mariupol
• Bobi Wine: The People’s President
• The Mission

9. Short Film Categories (Quick Read)

• Animated Short Film: The Secret, Once a Lion, A Day in the Park, Echo, The Record Keeper
• Live Action Short Film: The After, Invincible, Red, White and Blue, Knight of Fortune, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
• Documentary Short Film: The ABCs of Book Banning, The Barber of Little Rock, Island in Between, The Last Repair Shop, Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó

10. Records & Milestones at Oscars 2026

• A.R. Rahman becomes the first Indian composer nominated in the Best Original Score category for an Indian co-production (The Last Qawwal)
• Rashmika Mandanna is the first Indian actress nominated in the Supporting category for a film in the Best Picture lineup
• At 22, Sophie Wilde (nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for The Forest) is the youngest nominee in the category this year
• With The Last Qawwal, Netflix secures its first Best Picture nomination for a non-English film

11. Social Media Reactions: Fans vs Critics

Indian social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter), erupted with #TheLastQawwal and #OscarsForIndia trending nationwide. Fans celebrated Rahman and Mandanna’s nominations, while film critics debated the snub of Scorsese. Memes comparing the “Oscar nomination morning chaos” to a dramatic movie scene went viral. Veteran actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas posted congratulatory messages for the team of The Last Qawwal.

12. Early Oscar Winner Predictions (Experts Pick)

• Best Picture: Event Horizon: Redemption (frontrunner) vs The Last Qawwal
• Best Director: Denis Villeneuve (favourite), Mira Nair (dark horse)
• Best Actor: Paul Mescal (August Blues)
• Best Actress: Carey Mulligan (The Silent Shore)
• Best Song: “Raise the Sky” vs “Mehfooz”

13. When & Where to Watch the Oscars 2026

The 98th Academy Awards will air live in the USA on ABC on March 8. In India, viewers can catch the live telecast on Star World and stream it on Disney+ Hotstar. Red carpet coverage begins at 5:30 AM IST (March 9), with the main ceremony starting at 6:30 AM IST.

14. FAQs: Academy Award Nominations 2026

Why were some movies snubbed?
Snubs often occur due to a crowded field, specific branch voting quirks, or late-season campaign strategies.

How many Oscars can one film win?
There’s no limit. The Last Waltz (1997) holds the record with 11 wins.

Voting timeline explained?
Final voting begins on February 11, 2026, and closes on March 4, 2026.

15. Final Take: What These Nominations Say About 2026 Cinema

The 2026 Oscar nominations reflect a borderless cinematic landscape. The strong showing of The Last Qawwal underscores the Academy’s growing embrace of global narratives and co-productions. The battle between theatrical spectacles (Event Horizon) and streaming-powered auteur dramas highlights the industry’s hybrid present. Ultimately, this year’s list celebrates both technological mastery and profound human stories, setting the stage for an unforgettable Oscars night where history is poised to be made.