Home / Arts and Entertainment / Oscars 2026: Early Buzz and Surprise Contenders
Oscars 2026: Early Buzz and Surprise Contenders
28 Jun
Summary
- The 2026 Oscar race is underway with early contenders emerging.
- Box office hits and indie darlings vie for Academy attention.
- Predictions will evolve significantly until nominations.
The race for the 2026 Oscars has begun, with early cinematic releases and festival films establishing potential contenders. The season's narrative is shaped by the tension between popular blockbusters, such as Lionsgate's "Michael," and critically acclaimed independent features, like A24's "The Invite." This dynamic raises the question of how much the Academy will favor films audiences actually watched.
Variety's inaugural Oscar charts for Best Picture have been released, incorporating films seen in the year's first half and anticipating late-year festival premieres. Despite initial predictions, the landscape is highly fluid, with significant shifts expected before nominations are announced. The charts will be updated following major fall festivals like Venice and Telluride.
Specific categories are already seeing frontrunners. Ivy Meeropol's documentary "Ask E. Jean" is noted for its relevance, while a potential nomination for Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff's song in "Toy Story 5" could mark Swift's first Oscar nod. John Williams's score for "Disclosure Day" is a strong contender, and "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" is expected to vie for visual effects, continuing a franchise tradition.
Other potential nominees span various categories. Johnnie Burn's sound design for "Tuner," the makeup and hairstyling for "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," and Bob Murawski's editing for "Send Help" are recognized. Costume design for "The Devil Wears Prada 2," cinematography for "Wuthering Heights," and production design for "Backrooms" are also highlighted.
In acting categories, Penélope Cruz for "The Invite," Hugh Jackman for "The Sheep Detectives," Inde Navarrette for "Obsession," and Robert Aramayo for "I Swear" are among those receiving early attention. Phil Lord and Chris Miller are noted for their directorial work on "Project Hail Mary," potentially continuing a rare trend of directing duos receiving nominations.
For Best Picture, "Michael" is positioned as a strong contender, noted for its box office success and potential appeal to the Academy's populist wing. The film's transformation of Jaafar Jackson as the King of Pop and Colman Domingo's performance are highlighted as key elements, alongside potential craft nominations in editing, makeup, and sound.
