On Tuesday at approximately 11 a.m. PT, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will reveal the shortlists in 11 categories for the 2026 Oscars.
Heading into the announcement, Gold Derby’s experts, editors, and users collectively predicted that Sinners and Wicked: For Good would lead this year’s shortlists with seven mentions apiece. F1, Frankenstein, Avatar: Fire and Ash, and One Battle After Another were also expected to do well in the shortlists.
While the shortlists pull back the curtain to what specific branches within the Academy Awards are thinking, they are not the be-all and end-all when it comes to predicting the winners.
Last year, for example, Spanish-language musical Emilia Pérez (six) and the Broadway-born musical Wicked (four) led the way when the shortlists were unveiled. But on Oscar night, they each only won two trophies: Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldaña) and Best Song (“El Mal”) for the former, and Best Costume Design and Best Production Design for the latter. Anora wound up winning a leading five Oscars, including Best Picture, despite not receiving a single shortlist mention.
The shortlisted categories in which contenders were pared down to 15 contenders were Best International Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Song, Best Animated Short, Best Documentary Short, and Best Live Action Short. Ten films, meanwhile, are moving forward in Best Casting (a new category), Best Sound, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Visual Effects. And 20 contenders are advancing for Best Score.
The 2026 Oscars shortlists will be announced imminently in the following 11 categories (keep refreshing this page for the latest updates):
Best Casting shortlist
Best Makeup and Hairstyling shortlist
Best Score shortlist
Best Song shortlist
Best Sound shortlist
Best Visual Effects shortlist
Best Documentary Feature shortlist
Best International Feature shortlist
Best Animated Short shortlist
Best Documentary Short shortlist
Best Live-Action Short shortlist
The complete list of Oscar nominations in all 24 categories will be announced on Jan. 22. Conan O’Brien will host the star-studded ceremony on March 15.