From Casting to Foreign Films, every 2026 Oscars shortlist revealed so far, explained

After weeks of anticipation and mounting awards-season buzz for the 2026 Oscars shortlist, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has officially launched the race toward the 98th Academy Awards by unveiling its first round of 2026 Oscars shortlist across 12 categories.

The announcement marks a major milestone in the race toward the 98th Academy Awards, offering an early look at the films, filmmakers, and creatives emerging as frontrunners.

The Academy’s nominations immediately positioned Wicked: For Good and Sinners as clear frontrunners in this year’s awards race. The two films are the only features to appear on every 2026 Oscars shortlist for which they were eligible, scoring eight mentions each, including double placements in the Best Original Song category.

Frankenstein followed closely, earning six mentions on the 2026 Oscars shortlist and securing recognition in nearly every category for which it was eligible. The film missed only Original Song due to ineligibility, underscoring its widespread support across multiple Academy branches.

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Full list of 2026 Oscars shortlist, revealed so far

Here’s a look at the 2026 Oscars shortlist, organized by group, starting with Casting, followed by technical categories, music selections, non-fiction films, and concluding with global entries.

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Casting

• Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another
• The Secret Agent
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners
• Sirât
• Weapons
• Wicked: For Good

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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

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Documentary feature film shortlist: The Alabama Solution (Image via YouTube/ HBO)

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

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Documentary Short Film

• All the Empty Rooms
• All the Walls Came Down
• Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
• Bad Hostage
• Cashing Out
• Chasing Time
• Children No More: Were and Are Gone
• Classroom 4
• The Devil Is Busy
• Heartbeat
• Last Days on Lake Trinity
• On Healing Land, Birds Perch
• Perfectly a Strangeness
• Rovina’s Choice
• We Were the Scenery

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International feature film shortlist: Homebound (Image via YouTube/ Dharma Productions)

International Feature Film

• Argentina – Belén
• Brazil – The Secret Agent
• France – It Was Just an Accident
• Germany – Sound of Falling
• India – Homebound
• Iraq – The President’s Cake
• Japan – Kokuho
• Jordan – All That’s Left of You
• Norway – Sentimental Value
• Palestine – Palestine 36
• South Korea – No Other Choice
• Spain – Sirât
• Switzerland – Late Shift
• Taiwan – Left-Handed Girl
• Tunisia – The Voice of Hind Rajab

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Live Action Short Film

• Ado
• Amarela
• Beyond Silence
• The Boy with White Skin
• Butcher’s Stain
• Butterfly on a Wheel
• Dad’s Not Home
• Extremist
• A Friend of Dorothy
• Jane Austen’s Period Drama
• Pantyhose
• The Pearl Comb
• Rock, Paper, Scissors
• The Singers
• Two People Exchanging Saliva

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Makeup and Hairstyling

• The Alto Knights
• Frankenstein
• Kokuho
• Marty Supreme
• Nuremberg
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners
• The Smashing Machine
• The Ugly Stepsister
• Wicked: For Good

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Music (Original Score)

• Avatar: Fire and Ash
• Bugonia
• Captain America: Brave New World
• Diane Warren: Relentless
• F1
• Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• Hedda
• A House of Dynamite
• Jay Kelly
• Marty Supreme
• Nuremberg
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners
• Sirât
• Train Dreams
• Tron: Ares
• Truth and Treason
• Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
• Wicked: For Good

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Music (Original Song)

• As Alive As You Need Me To Be – Tron: Ares
• Dear Me – Diane Warren: Relentless
• Dream As One – Avatar: Fire and Ash
• Drive – F1
• Dying To Live – Billy Idol Should Be Dead
• The Girl in the Bubble – Wicked: For Good
• Golden – KPop Demon Hunters
• Highest 2 Lowest – Highest 2 Lowest
• I Lied To You – Sinners
• Last Time (I Seen the Sun) – Sinners
• No Place Like Home – Wicked: For Good
• Our Love – The Ballad of Wallis Island
• Salt Then Sour Then Sweet – Come See Me in the Good Light
• Sweet Dreams of Joy – Viva Verdi!
• Train Dreams – Train Dreams

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2026 Oscars shortlist: Frankenstein (Image via Netflix)

Sound

• Avatar: Fire and Ash
• F1
• Frankenstein
• Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners
• Sirât
• Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
• Superman
• Wicked: For Good

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Visual Effects

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

With nomination voting set to begin in January and the final 2026 Oscars shortlist announced shortly after, these shortlists provide the clearest roadmap yet for the films shaping the 2026 Oscars shortlist race.

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The 98th Oscars are scheduled for Sunday, March 15, 2026, and will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. This time around, ABC will air the show live, continuing its longtime role as the TV home for the awards.

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