Diversity Chain of awards The section is home to all awards news and related content throughout the year, including the following: official predictions for the upcoming Oscar, EmmyGrammy and Tony Awards, curator Diversity awards editor-in-chief Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings of the race and do not reflect the personal preferences of any individual contender. As other official (and unofficial) polls show, the competition is fickle and subject to change based on rumors and events. Forecasts are updated every Thursday.
RENTAL FAMILY, left to right: Mari Yamamoto, Brendan Fraser, 2025. Tel: James Lyle / © Searchlight Pictures / Courtesy of Everett Collection
©Searchlight Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Commentary on the Oscars (Updated: October 23, 2025): As the early days of the Oscar race continue to heat up, the fall festivals continue to attract the attention of quiet contenders and crowd-pleasers alike. The Middleburg Film Festival's Audience Awards ended for the second year in a row with two award contenders tied: Focus Features' Hamnet, Chloe Zhao's intimate adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel, and Searchlight's Rented Family, Hikari's quirky and emotionally resonant drama.
Meanwhile, AFI Fest opened with 20th Century Studios' Scott Cooper biopic “Springsteen: Deliver Me Out of Nowhere,” about the making of Nebraska, which opens in theaters nationwide this weekend.
And down south, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival kicks off Saturday with A24's “Eternity,” a high-concept novel that premiered in Toronto and has quite a following.
Updated forecasts below.
Top 3 predicted Oscar nominations (films): One Battle After Another and The Sinners (13); “Hamnet” (11); “Wicked: For Good” (10)
Top 3 Projected Oscar Nomination Leaders (Studios): Warner Bros. (28); Netflix (16); Focus functions and neon (15)
*** = PREDICTED WINNER
(All suspected candidates listed below are in alphabetical order)
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Best Film
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
“Avatar: Fire and Ash(20th Century Studio)
“Frankenstein(Netflix)
“Hamnet(Focus functions)
“It was just an accident(Neon)
“Marty Supreme(A24)
“One battle after another(Warner Bros.) ***
“Sentimental value(Neon)
“Sinners(Warner Bros.)
“Dream train(Netflix)
“Evil: For good(Universal Pictures) -
Director
Image credit: Cannes Film Festival/Casper Tuxen
Paul Thomas Anderson ***
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Ryan Coogler
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Jafar Panahi
“It was just an accident” (Neon)
Joachim Trier
“Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Chloe Zhao
“Hamnet” (Focus Features) -
Actor
Image Credit: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Timothee Chalamet ***
“Marty Supreme” (A24)
Leonardo DiCaprio
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Ethan Hawke
“Blue Moon” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Michael B. Jordan
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Wagner Moura
“Secret Agent” (Neon) -
Actress
Image credit: Spotlight
Jessie Buckley ***
“Hamnet” (Focus Features)
Cynthia Erivo
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)
Kate Hudson
“Song Sung Blue” (Focus Features)
Renata Reinsve
“Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Amanda Seyfried
The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures) -
Supporting Actor
Image Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features
Benicio del Toro
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Paul Mescal
“Hamnet” (Focus Features)
Sean Penn ***
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Andrew Scott
“Blue Moon” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Stellan Skarsgård
“Sentimental Value” (Neon) -
Supporting Actress
Image credit: Warner Bros.
Elle Fanning
“Sentimental Value” (Neon)
Ariana Grande ***
“Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)
Regina Hall
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Amy Madigan
“Weapons” (Warner Bros.)
Teyana Taylor
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.) -
Casting
“Frankenstein(Netflix)
Robin D. Cook
“Hamnet(Focus functions)
Nina Gold
“Marty Supreme(A24)
Jennifer Venditti
“One battle after another(Warner Bros.)
Cassandra Kulukoundis
“Sinners(Warner Bros.) ***
Francine MeislerOscar category page with ratings>>>Coming soon
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Original script
Image credit: Neon
“It was just an accident(Neon)
Jafar Panahi
“Jay Kelly(Netflix)
Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer
“Marty Supreme(A24)
Josh Safdie
“Sentimental value(Neon)
Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt
“Sinners(Warner Bros.) ***
Ryan Coogler -
Adapted Screenplay
Image credit: Netflix
“Hamnet(Focus functions) ***
Maggie O'Farrell and Chloe Zhao
“One battle after another(Warner Bros.)
Paul Thomas Anderson
“Song Song Blue(Focus functions)
Craig Brewer
“Dream Train(Netflix)
Clint Bentley and Greg Kvedar
“Wake Dead: A Drawing Knives Story(Netflix)
Rian Johnson -
Animated film
Image Credit: Courtesy of Annecy.
“Arco(Neon)
“In your dreams(Netflix)
“K-Pop Demon Hunters(Netflix) ***
“Little Amelie, or the character of the rain(GKids)
“Zootopia 2(Walt Disney Pictures)Oscar category page with ratings>>>Coming soon
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Production Design
Image credit: Universal Pictures
“Avatar: Fire and Ash(20th Century Studio)
Dylan Cole, Vanessa Cole, Ben Procter
“Frankenstein(Netflix)
Tamara Deverell, Shane Viau
“Hamnet(Focus functions)
Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton
“Sinners(Warner Bros.)
Hannah Blitschler, Monique Champagne
“Evil: For good(Universal Pictures) ***
Nathan Crowley, Lee SandalsOscar category page with ratings>>>Coming soon
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Cinema
Image credit: © Focus Features/Courtesy of Everett Collection
“Bugonia(Focus functions)
Robbie Ryan
“Hamnet(Focus functions)
Lukasz Sorry
“One battle after another(Warner Bros.)
Michael Bauman
“Sinners(Warner Bros.) ***
Autumn Durald Arkapaw
“Dream Train(Netflix)
Adolfo VelosoOscar category page with ratings>>>Coming soon
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Costume design
Image credit: Sabrina Lantos/Sony Pictures Classics
“Blue Moon(Sony Pictures Classics)
Comfort Boyle
“Frankenstein(Netflix)
Kate Hawley
“Hamnet(Focus functions)
Malgosia Turzanska
“Sinners(Warner Bros.)
Ruth E. Carter
“Evil: For good(Universal Pictures) ***
Paul TazewellOscar category page with ratings>>>Coming soon
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Film editing
Image credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
“Hamnet(Focus functions)
Affonso Goncalves, Chloe Zhao
“One battle after another(Warner Bros.) ***
Andy Jurgensen
“Marty Supreme(A24)
Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
“Sinners(Warner Bros.)
Michael P. Shover
“Evil: For good(Universal Pictures)
Myron KersteinOscar category page with ratings>>>Coming soon
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Makeup and hairstyle
Image credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate
“Frankenstein(Netflix) ***
“Long walk(Lionsgate)
“Sinners(Warner Bros.)
“Destruction machine(A24)
“Evil: For good(Universal Pictures)Oscar category page with ratings>>>Coming soon
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Sound
“Avatar: Fire and Ash(20th Century Studio)
“F1(Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
“House of Dynamite(Netflix)
“Sinners(Warner Bros.) ***
“Evil: For good(Universal Pictures)Oscar category page with ratings>>>Coming soon
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Visual effects
Image credit: Disney
“Avatar: Fire and Ash(20th Century Studio) ***
“Fantastic Four: First Steps(Marvel Studios)
“How to Train Your Dragon(Universal Pictures)
“Superman(Warner Bros.)
“Evil: For good(Universal Pictures)Oscar category page with ratings>>>Coming soon
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Original score
Image credit: Courtesy of SIFF
“Ballad of the Little Player(Netflix)
Volker Bertelmann
“Bugonia(Focus functions)
Jerskin Fendricks
“Hamnet(Focus functions)
Max Richter
“One battle after another(Warner Bros.)
Jonny Greenwood
“Sinners(Warner Bros.) ***
Ludwig GöranssonOscar category page with ratings>>>Coming soon
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Original song
Image credit: 20th Century Studios
“Avatar: Fire and Ash(20th Century Studio)
“Dream As One” by Miley Cyrus, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
“K-Pop Demon Hunters(Netflix) ***
“Gold” from EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick
“Sinners(Warner Bros.)
“I Lied to You” by Ludwig Göransson and Raphael Saadiq
“Sinners(Warner Bros.)
“The Last Time (I Saw the Sun)” by Miles Caton, Ludwig Göransson and Alice Smith
“Evil: For good(Universal Pictures)
“Girl in the Bubble” by Stephen SchwartzOscar category page with ratings>>>Coming soon
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Documentary
Image credit: Brandon Somerhalder
“Alabama Solution(HBO Documentaries) ***
“Come see me in a good light(Apple Original Films)
“Ideal neighbor(Netflix)
“The Tale of Silian(National Geographic)
“2000 meters to Andreevka(PBS)Oscar category page with ratings>>>Coming soon
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International Feature
Image credit: Neon
“It was just an accident» from France (Neon)
dir. Jafar Panahi
“There's no other choice» from South Korea (Neon)
dir. Park-Chan Wook
“Secret agent» from Brazil (Neon)
say. Kleber Mendonça Filho
“Sentimental value» from Norway (Neon) ***
You. Joachim Trier
“Voice of Hind Rajab» from Tunisia (US distributor to be announced)
You. Kaouther Ben HaniaOscar category page with ratings>>>Coming soon
