The 2026 Best Picture nominees are set for the 98th Academy Awards, with Sinners and One Battle After Another widely seen as the leading contenders heading into Sunday’s ceremony. Awards coverage ahead of the show has consistently placed those two films at the centre of the race.
This year’s lineup mixes blockbuster filmmaking, literary adaptations, horror, thrillers and international cinema. That range has made the category one of the most closely watched parts of the Oscars conversation.
2026 Best Picture Nominees At The Oscars
The 10 films in the running for Best Picture are: Bugonia, F1: The Movie, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, Sinners, The Secret Agent and Train Dreams. Coverage published ahead of the ceremony reflects this 10-film field for the 98th Academy Awards.
Among them, Sinners has drawn major attention after leading the Oscars with a record 16 nominations, while One Battle After Another has remained a strong Best Picture favourite in predictions and markets.
Sinners And One Battle After Another Lead The Race
One Battle After Another has been described as a Best Picture frontrunner across multiple previews, with prediction-market coverage giving it a strong edge in the top category. At the same time, Sinners has built late momentum and entered the final stretch as a serious challenger.
That sets up a two-film showdown at the top of the race. Still, the Academy has a history of producing surprises when momentum shifts in the final days before the ceremony.
Dark Horses Including Hamnet And The Secret Agent
If there is room for an upset, Hamnet remains one of the most talked-about dark horses. Pre-ceremony coverage has highlighted strong support for the film, especially around Jessie Buckley’s performance, which has helped keep it in the broader awards conversation.
Meanwhile, The Secret Agent continues to stand out as an international contender with crossover potential. Its place in the Best Picture field shows the Academy’s ongoing openness to films with strong global appeal.
The full lineup also reflects the Academy’s wide-ranging taste this year. Bugonia brings Yorgos Lanthimos’ offbeat style, F1: The Movie represents a high-end studio spectacle, and Frankenstein carries Guillermo del Toro’s awards pedigree.
At the same time, films like Sentimental Value, Marty Supreme, and Train Dreams give the category a more auteur-driven, indie-leaning edge. Together, the nominees show how broad the Best Picture race has become in 2026
