2026 Oscar Shortlists: Complete list of nominations announced in 12 award categories so far
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Oscars (Image via Getty)The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists for the 98th Academy Awards in 12 categories, including Animated Short Film, Casting, Cinematography, Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film, International Feature Film, Live Action Short Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Sound, and Visual Effects.
The upcoming Oscars ceremony is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 15, 2026. Conan O’Brien is set to return as host following his widely praised debut hosting the 2025 event. The proceedings are expected to be broadcast by ABC and made available via streaming platforms.
In 2025, the 97th annual Academy Awards aired on ABC and was also streamed on Hulu, continuing the Academy’s recent approach of combining traditional television broadcasts with digital streaming options.
Shortlisted entries in 12 categories
Animated Short Film
Fifteen films will move forward in the Animated Short Film category for the 98th Academy Awards from a total of 113 qualifying entries. Eligible Animation and Short Films Branch members voted in the preliminary round, while all Academy branches may participate in nominations after viewing all 15 shortlisted films.
The films are:
- “Autokar”
- “Butterfly”
- “Cardboard”
- “Éiru”
- “Forevergreen”
- “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”
- “Hurikán”
- “I Died in Irpin”
- “The Night Boots”
- “Playing God”
- “The Quinta's Ghost”
- “Retirement Plan”
- “The Shyness of Trees”
- “Snow Bear”
- “The Three Sisters"
Casting
Ten films will advance in the Casting category for the 98th Academy Awards, with the shortlist and nominees determined by members of the Casting Directors Branch. Academy members will be invited to view film excerpts and recorded casting director interviews in Los Angeles and London on January 9, 2026, and in New York on January 10, 2026.
The films are:
- “Frankenstein”
- “Hamnet”
- “Marty Supreme”
- “One Battle after Another”
- “The Secret Agent”
- “Sentimental Value”
- “Sinners”
- “Sirât”
- “Weapons”
- “Wicked: For Good”
Cinematography
Sixteen films will advance in the Cinematography category for the 98th Academy Awards, with members of the Cinematographers Branch voting to determine both the shortlist and the nominees.
The films are:
- “Ballad of a Small Player”
- “Bugonia”
- “Die My Love”
- “F1”
- “Frankenstein”
- “Hamnet”
- “Marty Supreme”
- “Nouvelle Vague”
- “One Battle after Another”
- “Sentimental Value”
- “Sinners”
- “Sirât”
- “Song Sung Blue”
- “Sound of Falling”
- “Train Dreams”
- “Wicked: For Good”
Documentary Feature Film
Fifteen films have advanced in the Documentary Feature Film category for the 98th Academy Awards, selected from 201 eligible entries, with members of the Documentary Branch voting to determine both the shortlist and the nominees.
The films are:
- “The Alabama Solution”
- “Apocalypse in the Tropics”
- “Coexistence, My Ass!”
- “Come See Me in the Good Light”
- “Cover-Up”
- “Cutting through Rocks”
- “Folktales”
- “Holding Liat”
- “Mr. Nobody against Putin”
- “Mistress Dispeller”
- “My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 – Last Air in Moscow”
- “The Perfect Neighbor”
- “Seeds”
- “2000 Meters to Andriivka”
- “Yanuni”
Documentary short film
Fifteen films advanced in the Documentary Short Film category for the 98th Academy Awards from 117 qualifying entries, with members of the Documentary Branch voting to decide both the shortlist and nominees.
The films are:
- “All the Empty Rooms”
- “All the Walls Came Down”
- “Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud”
- “Bad Hostage”
- “Cashing Out”
- “Chasing Time”
- “Children No More: “Were and Are Gone””
- “Classroom 4”
- “The Devil Is Busy”
- “Heartbeat”
- “Last Days on Lake Trinity”
- “On Healing Land, Birds Perch”
- “Perfectly a Strangeness”
- “Rovina’s Choice”
- “We Were the Scenery”
International Feature Film
For the 98th Academy Awards, 15 International Feature Films from 86 eligible countries advance. Academy members meeting viewing requirements voted preliminarily, with all branches eligible to vote after watching all shortlisted films.
The films are:
- Argentina, “Belén”
- Brazil, “The Secret Agent”
- France, “It Was Just an Accident”
- Germany, “Sound of Falling”
- India, “Homebound”
- Iraq, “The President’s Cake”
- Japan, “Kokuho”
- Jordan, “All That’s Left of You”
- Norway, “Sentimental Value”
- Palestine, “Palestine 36”
- South Korea, “No Other Choice”
- Spain, “Sirât”
- Switzerland, “Late Shift”
- Taiwan, “Left-Handed Girl”
- Tunisia, “The Voice of Hind Rajab”
Live Action Short Film
Fifteen films advance in the Live Action Short Film category for the 98th Academy Awards from 207 qualifiers. All Academy branches participate in preliminary voting and must view all shortlisted films during nominations.
The films are:
- “Ado”
- “Amarela”
- “Beyond Silence”
- “The Boy with White Skin”
- “Butcher’s Stain”
- “Butterfly on a Wheel”
- “Dad’s Not Home”
- “Extremist”
- “A Friend of Dorothy”
- “Jane Austen’s Period Drama”
- “Pantyhose”
- “The Pearl Comb”
- “Rock, Paper, Scissors”
- “The Singers”
- “Two People Exchanging Saliva”
Makeup and Hairstyle
Ten films have advanced in the Makeup and Hairstyling category for the 98th Academy Awards. The Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch will vote on the shortlist and nominees, with members viewing excerpts and interviews on January 10, 2026.
The films are:
- “The Alto Knights”
- “Frankenstein”
- “Kokuho”
- “Marty Supreme”
- “Nuremberg”
- “One Battle after Another”
- “Sinners”
- “The Smashing Machine”
- “The Ugly Stepsister”
- “Wicked: For Good”
Music (Original Score)
Twenty scores have advanced in the Original Score category for the 98th Academy Awards, with 132 eligible; Music Branch members determine the shortlist and nominees.
The scores are:- “Avatar: Fire and Ash”
- “Bugonia”
- “Captain America: Brave New World”
- “Diane Warren: Relentless”
- “F1”
- “Frankenstein”
- “Hamnet”
- “Hedda”
- “A House of Dynamite”
- “Jay Kelly”
- “Marty Supreme”
- “Nuremberg”
- “One Battle after Another”
- “Sinners”
- “Sirât”
- “Train Dreams”
- “Tron: Ares”
- “Truth and Treason”
- “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”
- “Wicked: For Good”
Music (Original Song)
Fifteen songs have advanced in the Original Song category for the 98th Academy Awards, with Music Branch members voting to determine nominees.
The songs are:
- “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” from “Tron: Ares”
- “Dear Me” from “Diane Warren: Relentless”
- “Dream As One” from “Avatar: Fire and Ash”
- “Drive” from “F1”
- “Dying To Live” from “Billy Idol Should Be Dead”
- “The Girl In The Bubble” from “Wicked: For Good”
- “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters”
- “Highest 2 Lowest” from “Highest 2 Lowest”
- “I Lied To You” from “Sinners”
- “Last Time (I Seen The Sun)” from “Sinners”
- “No Place Like Home” from “Wicked: For Good”
- “Our Love” from “The Ballad of Wallis Island”
- “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from “Come See Me in the Good Light”
- “Sweet Dreams Of Joy” from “Viva Verdi!”
- “Train Dreams” from “Train Dreams”
Sound
Ten films will advance in the Sound category for the 98th Academy Awards, with Sound Branch members voting on the shortlist and nominees, and Academy members viewing excerpts in multiple cities.
The films are:
- “Avatar: Fire and Ash”
- “F1”
- “Frankenstein”
- “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”
- “One Battle after Another”
- “Sinners”
- “Sirât”
- “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere”
- “Superman”
- “Wicked: For Good”
Visual Effects
Ten films are shortlisted in the Visual Effects category for the 98th Academy Awards, with branch members voting on nominees and Academy members viewing excerpts and artist interviews on January 10, 2026.
The films are:
- “Avatar: Fire and Ash”
- “The Electric State”
- “F1”
- “Frankenstein”
- “Jurassic World Rebirth”
- “The Lost Bus”
- “Sinners”
- “Superman”
- “Tron: Ares”
- “Wicked: For Good”
Stay tuned for more updates and announcements from the world of movies and TV shows.
TOPICS: Oscar Shortlists , Oscar 2026, Oscars