As the winter season begins, another one starts as well: awards season.
The film festival circuit is coming to a close, and it has become apparent what movies and actors are contenders for an Oscar nomination, which will be announced on Jan. 22. Reviews have allowed for early nomination predictions for the big three — best actor, best actress, and best picture.
BEST ACTOR
This year was full of movies with fantastic lead performances, but a few stand above the rest. Leonardo DiCaprio is sure to receive a nomination for his hilarious portrayal of Bob Ferguson in “One Battle After Another.” He has been a favorite of critics since the release of the film in late September.
Timothée Chalamet is almost destined to receive his third Oscar nomination for the titular role in “Marty Supreme.” Critics who have seen it have complimented Chalamet’s performance and he has already kicked off his awards campaign, which is endlessly entertaining.
A standout this year to not only film fanatics, but to the general public was Michael B. Jordan in “Sinners.” His performances of both Stack and Smoke were impressive and convinced audiences that there were two actors on screen. Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein in the newest rendition of “Frankenstein” has received a lot of praise from film critics. It is hard to find anyone who did not appreciate the film, so Isaac’s nomination is almost guaranteed.
BEST ACTRESS
The past several years has brought a fierce best actress race, and this year is no different. Jessie Buckley is favored to win for her emotional performance of Agnes Shakespeare in “Hamnet.” Since its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, critics have claimed Buckley will be taking home the Oscar.
Newcomer Chase Infiniti deserves a nomination for her film debut as Willa in “One Battle After Another.” Her performance had audiences hooked and on the edge of their seats as she fights to reunite with her co-star DiCaprio throughout the film.
Emma Stone will most likely be continuing her trend of Oscar nominations with her role of Michelle in “Bugonia.” The film itself has not received too much award buzz, but Stone’s performance has been praised by critics and her collaborations with the film’s director, Yorgos Lanthimos, typically lead to a nomination.
Cynthia Erivo will most likely receive a nod for her performance as Elphaba in “Wicked: For Good.” She may not be the winner, but she certainly deserves the praise. It would be interesting to see a movie musical take home the best actress award.
BEST PICTURE
Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” has received Oscar buzz since the moment the cast was announced. It will definitely receive many nominations from the academy.
The surprise premiere of Josh Safdie’s “Marty Supreme” at the New York Film Festival was praised by everyone who was lucky enough to see it. Every Chalamet film recently has had luck during awards season, so it is safe to say “Marty Supreme” will follow that trend.
Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” is set to receive a nomination. As audience members leave showings in tears, it is hard to think the emotional film will not receive any Academy acclaim. A surprising pick for a nomination is Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners.” The movie was not predicted to have too much Oscar buzz due to the Academy’s unfortunate inability to consider films released before awards season, but Sinners has proved that wrong. It certainly deserves the nominations and an Academy notice would be a huge win for the horror industry, which is often left out of serious award consideration.
Oscar nominations will be announced on Jan. 22, 2026, with the actual awards occurring March 15.
–Dec. 8, 2025–
