Do the Oscars have reluctancy voting for truly evil performances, such as Sean Penn in "One Battle After Another?" History suggests so.

Perhaps the most exciting moment of the morning, however, is that awards watchers got their first look at the brand-new Casting category, which will make its debut at the 2026 Oscar ceremony. Mostly,

Many of the shortlists have at least 15 contenders (with Original Score having 20) in categories that will only ultimately nominate five films. The full list of 2026 Oscar nominations will be unveiled on January 22,

A look at the films contending for the best picture Academy Award including "Sinners," "It Was Just an Accident" and "One Battle After Another."

We've decided to take all of that information and condense it into a fresh set of 2026 Oscar predictions in the major categories that consider how all of those voting bodies reacted to the cinematic year that's been.

With Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio and more in the mix, awards columnist Glenn Whipp takes the temperature of the lead actor Oscar race.

Blue Moon is a one-man stage show disguised as a movie, and its beating heart is a singular Ethan Hawke. The capstone in a rich career, Hawke's showcase has elevated him to the fifth spot on Gold Derby's predicted Best Actor Oscar nominees, and his work thoroughly merits what would be a third acting nod.

Some front-runners’ hopes of landing Oscar nominations were dashed, but at least they got the disappointment out of the way early.