Oscars 2026 Shortlists: Wicked: For Good and Sinners Dominate Across Categories

An early snapshot of momentum heading into the final Academy Award nominations

"Wicked: For Good" and "Sinners" emerged as the clear standouts, as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveils its shortlists in 12 Oscar categories, becoming the only two feature films to appear on every list for which they were eligible. Each landed seven mentions, including Best Original Song, where both films secured two entries among the final 15 shortlisted contenders. Close behind was "Frankenstein", which earned six mentions and made nearly every category it could qualify for, missing only Best Song due to the absence of an original musical number.

The newly announced shortlists also mark a milestone year for the Academy, introducing the first-ever shortlist for Best Casting, a category revealed earlier this year. In another historic shift, Best Cinematography now joins the shortlist process for the first time, alongside established categories such as International Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Original Song, Original Score, the three Shorts categories, Sound, Visual Effects, and Makeup & Hairstyling. Together, the lists offer an early snapshot of the films gaining momentum heading into the final nomination round.

Among other notable performers, "F1", "One Battle After Another", and Spain's international submission "Sirat" each scored five mentions, with "Sirat" standing out as the strongest international contender across multiple categories. Norway's "Sentimental Value" earned three mentions, while Japan's "Kokuho" and Germany's "Sound of Falling" each picked up two, making them the only other international titles to break beyond their primary category. In the music races, Diane Warren once again made her presence felt: while the documentary about her life missed out on Documentary Feature, her song "Dear Me" advanced as expected and could mark her 17th nomination, complemented by Lesley Barber's shortlisted score for the same film.

Several films followed closely with four mentions apiece, including "Marty Supreme", "Train Dreams", and "Avatar: Fire and Ash". Notably, "Marty Supreme" and "Train Dreams" benefited from Cinematography's first year on the shortlist, while the latest "Avatar" installment did not—despite the original film winning the Oscar in that category in 2009. The shortlists also highlighted a strong year for female filmmakers, with women directing seven of the 15 international contenders and 10 of the 15 documentary features. Meanwhile, the Documentary branch continued its aversion to showbiz subjects, leaving out acclaimed titles such as Mariska Hargitay's "My Mom Jayne", Raoul Peck's "Orwell: 2+2=5", and IDA winner "The Tale of Silyan", making for some of the most talked-about omissions of the season.

Here are the shortlists for the 2026 Academy Awards:

ANIMATED SHORT FILM 
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 
Frankenstein 
Hamnet 
Marty Supreme 
One Battle after Another 
The Secret Agent 
Sentimental Value 
Sinners 
Sirât 
Weapons 
Wicked: For Good

CINEMATOGRAPHY 
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 
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

VISUAL EFFECTS 
Avatar: Fire and Ash 
The Electric State 
F1 
Frankenstein 
Jurassic World Rebirth 
The Lost Bus 
Sinners 
Superman 
Tron: Ares 
Wicked: For Good