The 2026 Academy Awards are set to stun viewers with an impressively varied array of nominees.

Returning to the Dolby Theatre on March 15, the Academy will host yet another evening dedicated to celebrating cinema’s most acclaimed projects of the past year. Spanning high-speed blockbusters, intimate familial dramas and every surprising work in between, the show is sure to highlight the film industry’s growing versatility and innovation.

Read on for the Daily Bruin’s prized predictions for a handful of the Oscars’ most anticipated categories.

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Timothée Chalamet – “Marty Supreme”

In the face of steep competition, Timothée Chalamet reigns supreme.

The four-time Oscar nominee, previously recognized for his roles in “Call Me by Your Name” (2017) and “A Complete Unknown” (2024), is returning to go for the gold for his work in A24’s “Marty Supreme.” Chalamet plays the young Marty Mauser, a down-on-his-luck American table tennis champion willing to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional athlete at all costs, even if it means jeopardizing his personal relationships. Chalamet captures the essence of the character perfectly, as he manages to balance Marty’s boar-headed ego and air of desperation with just enough heart to garner sympathy from the audience. The 30-year-old actor’s performance stands as a testament to his immense range – one worthy of the ultimate prize.

His portrayal also plays to the Academy’s tastes, which tend to lean more toward performances in which the actor fully embodies their role as part of a character study. Take previous winners, for instance: Adrien Brody in “The Brutalist” (2024), Cillian Murphy in “Oppenheimer” (2023) and Rami Malek in “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018) – all from films that follow performances focusing on a single character’s journey. “Marty Supreme” does exactly this in that it centers on the triumphs and intricacies of one individual as the people in his life supplement his story. Leonardo DiCaprio’s work in “One Battle After Another” is arguably just as emotionally touching, but his recognizability in the film can often take the audience out of the film, whereas Chalamet’s reputation as a young actor with big ambitions only adds to the allure of his character. Furthermore, Michael B. Jordan’s performance in “Sinners” is incredible, yet split between two characters, hurting his overall impression.

Chalamet effortlessly switches between veils of confidence and displays of vulnerability. Through subtleties alone, it is clear Marty barely believes in his dream, which explains why he appears to be attracted to anyone who shows just a sliver of confidence in him. In his final triumph against his rival, Koto Endo, Marty dramatically falls to the floor – it is only through Chalamet’s performance that this character comes alive.

At the 2024 Actor Awards, Chalamet declared he is “in pursuit of greatness,” and greatness has arrived.

– Parsa Arshi

[Related: Oscars 2026: Daily Bruin predicts the 98th Academy Award for Best Picture]

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Jessie Buckley – “Hamnet”

To win, or not to win – that is Jessie Buckley’s question.

The 36-year-old Irish actress and singer has received her second career Academy Award nomination for her leading role as Agnes Shakespeare in the 2025 period drama “Hamnet.” Released Nov. 26 via Focus Features, the film dramatizes the family life of playwright and poet William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Anne “Agnes” Hathaway, as they raise their three children in rural Warwickshire, England. “Hamnet,” directed by Chloé Zhao, is based on the 2020 novel by Maggie O’Farrell and centers around Agnes as she mourns the death of her 11-year-old son Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), who dies of the plague. Sharing center stage with the talented Mescal and supported by impressive performances by Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn and Noah Jupe, Buckley is undoubtedly surrounded by acting expertise – yet she still succeeds at stealing the show.

A tale of deep love and brutal loss, “Hamnet” packs a sincere punch into its runtime of two hours and five minutes, guided by Buckley’s masterful portrayal of motherhood and grief. Despite the film’s relatively simple plot – with most attention expected to be focused on the famous Shakespeare and the titular figure Hamnet – Buckley has shocked viewers with her emotional range and command of each scene, proving her viability for the title of Best Actress in a Leading Role. The film world has resoundingly agreed with this sentiment, as the rising star recently racked up Best Actress at the Critics Choice Awards, Best Leading Actress at the British Academy Film Awards and Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture at the Golden Globes.

Though her spectacular performance in “Hamnet” left audiences in tears, fans are likely to be jumping for joy when she wins on Oscars night.

– Eleanor Meyers

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Sean Penn – “One Battle After Another”

It’s not every year an actor wins their third Oscar, but this might be Sean Penn’s chance to do so.

The 65-year-old actor – who won Best Actor twice for 2003’s “Mystic River” and 2008’s “Milk” – has emerged as the frontrunner to win a third Academy Award for his performance in “One Battle After Another” following wins at the British Academy Film Awards and the Actor Awards. Penn appears in a supporting role as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, crafting a villain immediately on par with past Best Supporting Actor winners such as Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) in “No Country for Old Men” (2007) and Col. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) in “Inglourious Basterds” (2009). Far from a one-dimensional caricature, Lockjaw’s twisted white supremacism and fragile ego are so convincing Penn deserves to join Jack Nicholson, Daniel Day-Lewis and Walter Brennan in the club of three-time winner male actors.

Of course, Penn’s third Oscar is no guarantee with formidable competition coming from “Sentimental Value” star Stellan Skarsgård and “Frankenstein” spotlight-stealer Jacob Elordi, who won at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, respectively. Skarsgård would make a particularly worthy winner based on his career-best work in the touchingly contemplative Norwegian drama, especially when considering the 74-year-old has never been nominated before despite standout turns in Oscar-winning films from “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” to “Dune: Part One.” Regardless, the past five Best Picture winners have featured a corresponding acting win, and with “One Battle After Another” poised to claim the Oscars’ top prize, it makes sense for Penn’s irreplaceable performance to be properly recognized as the film’s strongest element.

Winning won’t be easy, but the enduring power of Penn’s undeniable skills and the scorching scenes he delivers as Lockjaw are one voting battle away from Oscars glory.

– Reid Sperisen

[Related: Movie review: ‘Wicked: For Good’ enchants with elevated magic, emotion as spellbinding sequel]

Best Directing: Paul Thomas Anderson – “One Battle After Another”

Oscar night may be one battle after another for this year’s nominees, but Best Directing should be an easy win for Paul Thomas Anderson.

The 14-time Academy Award nominee has yet to win an Oscar despite being the director behind multiple Best Picture nominees and instant classics, including “There Will Be Blood” (2007), “Phantom Thread” (2017) and “Licorice Pizza” (2021). His latest foray into the action-thriller genre with “One Battle After Another” is looking to put an end to his losing streak. Anderson’s masterful direction brought his adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel “Vineland” to the big screen last year, telling the story of American revolution, race and community across an electrifying two hours and 41 minutes culminating in a call for the next generation to continue the fight for liberty and justice for all.

Though Best Directing is a stacked category this year, with contestants including Ryan Coogler and Chloé Zhao, Anderson has been in the film industry longer than any of his competitors, and he has the connections, acclaim and filmography to prove it. Some may argue an Anderson win this year would simply be the Academy looking to finally make up for its previous mistakes, but nonetheless, “One Battle After Another” is an impressive and politically relevant feat of filmmaking that makes Anderson more than worthy of awards this season. Boasting four Oscar-nominated performances, multiple nominations in the technical craft categories and heavily favored odds to win Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, bringing “One Battle After Another” from script to screen was a colossal task Anderson pulled off effortlessly.

From the Critics Choice Awards to the Golden Globes and the British Academy Film Awards, one awards show after another has already declared Anderson the Best Director of the 2026 season, and the Oscars are shaping up to be no exception.

– Kiara Mack

[Related: Film review: Despite flaws, ‘After the Hunt’ provokes thought on power, moral ambiguity]

Best Picture: “One Battle After Another”

For a film titled “One Battle After Another,” award season has been anything but that, and unfortunately, the results of the Oscars are unlikely to be any different.

Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film follows former revolutionary Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he fights to protect his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) from a bitter military official played by Sean Penn. The film also features the incomparable Teyana Taylor, who amazes in her role as Perfidia Beverly Hills. After winning the Best Picture equivalents at the British Academy Film Awards, Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, “One Battle After Another” enters the Oscars as the clear frontrunner. However, the film’s greatest strength lies in its ensemble, a quality that has carried it through the awards season. Compared to other nominees, it now feels like it is riding a wave, and unfortunately, that may be exactly why it wins Best Picture.

This year’s nominees range from intimate dramas like “Sentimental Value,” a quiet character-driven story about a family forced to confront years of unresolved tension and grief, to genre-pushing films such as “Sinners,” a vampire thriller that blends horror with social commentary. Other noteworthy nominees include “Hamnet,” a deep Shakespearean film that follows a family navigating the loss of a son and the legacy he leaves behind, and “Marty Supreme,” a fast-paced film exploring themes of ego, relationships and the cost of dreaming big. Yet among them, “Sinners” stands alone. With 16 nominations, it has already made history as the most nominated film in the history of the Academy Awards.

However, its excellence goes beyond the numbers. Grounded in identity, “Sinners” celebrates the depth and evolution of Black culture through fully realized portrayals that feel expansive and culturally resonant. “Sinners” is more than a film about vampires – it is a story about the Black experience, blending history and fables to tell a tale of family and sacrifice. The film also examines how white society continuously attempts to take from Black spaces, music and culture. In contrast, “One Battle After Another” lacks story and perpetuates long-standing stereotypes of Black women, leaning into tropes such as the “Jezebel” and the “Sapphire” rather than offering fresh levels of complexity. Still, this awards season has shown that a film’s level of meaning does not always equate to a win – a trend the Academy Awards will likely continue.

While “Sinners” may carry the stronger story, the cast of “One Battle After Another” will take home the Oscar for Best Picture.

– Kemyron McCoy

Best Original Screenplay: “Sinners”

When the sun comes up after Oscar Sunday, Ryan Coogler will certainly have an award following him home.

With the most Academy Award nominations in history, “Sinners” is a quick pick for almost any category, especially for Best Original Screenplay. Coogler – who made BAFTA history as the first Black winner of Best Original Screenplay – directed, produced and wrote one of the year’s best movies, and easily one of the best written. He won the Writers Guild Award for the screenplay, alongside writing wins from the Critics Choice Awards, National Board of Review and Toronto Film Critics Association. “Sinners” is a masterclass in storytelling with its balance of thematic ambition and complex emotions, showing how bold filmmaking choices stem from writing and characters.

The major competition “Sinners” is up against is “One Battle After Another,” with Paul Thomas Anderson winning Best Screenplay at the Golden Globes. In the Oscars, however, Anderson’s screenplay is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, leaving Coogler as the automatic frontrunner. Even as a horror film, a historically difficult genre for Oscar wins, Coogler’s powerful, tightly written screenplay speaks for itself. Every line of dialogue reveals characters’ motivations and moral conflicts, giving the horror real emotional stakes. “Sinners” uses the horror genre to explore a variety of other conflicts with faith and race in a way that feels incredibly culturally relevant. Its structure is deliberate and well-paced, building impending dread as more is learned about each character. The writing in “Sinners” precisely anchors every aspect of the film’s performances and themes.

It is safe to say that even after the sun goes down, March 15 will be the best night of Coogler’s life.

– Caitlin Brockenbrow