Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Steve Buscemi and Sam Rockwell in WILD HORSE NINE. Photo by Searchlight Pictures/Diego Araya Corvalán, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2026 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Searchlight Pictures
“Dune: Part Three” won’t arrive until December, and Denis Villeneuve’s finale will hang over every projection between now and then. Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” opened in the summer and has not slipped an inch since. Neither felt any need to haul itself up to any of the festivals.
But A24 has other stuff up its sleeves.
Then there is “Wildwood,” which was just announced as the opening night film of AFI Fest and Laika is looking to make its own history.
But first, Toronto will get its say. While Telluride is a room full of believers, TIFF is tens of thousands of strangers with a ballot and its People’s Choice Award that can prove that a movie has what it takes.
The Governors Awards, which will hand out honorary Oscars to Glenn Close and Ridley Scott, will take place Sunday, Nov. 15. Preliminary voting for the Oscars shortlist in 12 categories runs Dec. 7-11, with the shortlist announcement to follow Tuesday, Dec. 15. Following the close of the eligibility period on Dec. 31, 2026, nominations voting will run Jan. 11-15, 2027. The official Oscar nominations will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2027. The 99th Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 14, 2027 and will be hosted by Conan O’Brien. The ceremony airs live at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
*** = PREDICTED WINNER
(All predicted nominees listed below are in alphabetical order)
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Best Picture
Image Credit: Courtesy of A24
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Directing
Image Credit: Courtesy of MK2 Films Martin McDonagh, “Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight Pictures)
Christopher Nolan, “The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
Denis Villeneuve, “Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.) ***
Olivia Wilde, “The Invite” (A24)
Andrey Zvyagintsev, “Minotaur” (Mubi)Oscar category page with rankings>>>
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Actor
Image Credit: Anthony Dickenson Tom Cruise, “Digger” (Warner Bros.) ***
Matt Damon, “The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
John Malkovich, “Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight Pictures)
Andrew Scott, “Elsinore” (Focus Features)
Sebastian Stan, “Fjord” (Neon)Oscar category page with rankings>>>
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Actress
Image Credit: ©Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection Marion Bailey, “Tender Loving Care” (Bleecker Street)
Rosalind Eleazar, “Misty Green” (A24)
Sandra Hüller, “Fatherland” (Mubi)
Julianne Moore, “The Debut” (A24) ***
Inde Navarrette, “Obsession” (Focus Features)Oscar category page with rankings>>>
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Supporting Actor
Image Credit: Anthony Dickenson Colman Domingo, “Michael” (Lionsgate)
Paul Giamatti, “The Debut” (A24) ***
John Leguizamo, “The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
Guy Pearce, “Ink” (Netflix)
Sam Rockwell, “Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight Pictures)Oscar category page with rankings>>>
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Supporting Actress
Image Credit: Bleecker Street [REDACTED], “You Can See Everything” (A24)
Penélope Cruz, “The Invite” (A24)
Anne Hathaway, “The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures) ***
Samantha Morton, “The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
Kate O’Flynn, “Tender Loving Care” (Bleecker Street)Oscar category page with rankings>>>
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Original Screenplay
Image Credit: A24 “Club Kid” (A24)
Jordan Firstman
“The Debut” (A24)
Jesse Eisenberg
“Fjord” (Neon)
Cristian Mungiu
“Tender Loving Care” (Bleecker Street)
Mike Leigh
“Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight Pictures) ***
Martin McDonagh -
Adapted Screenplay
Image Credit: A24 “Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.)
Brian K. Vaughan, Denis Villeneuve
“The Invite” (A24) ***
Rashida Jones and Will McCormack
“La Bola Negra” (Netflix)
Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo, Alberto Conejero
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
Christopher Nolan
“Wildwood” (Laika)
Chris Butler -
Casting
Image Credit: Carla Oset/Netflix “Being Heumann” (Apple Original Films) ***
Adam Caldwell, Bernard Telsey
“Club Kid” (A24)
Carmen Cuba
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.)
Francine Maisler
“La Bola Negra” (Netflix)
Eva Leira and Yolanda Serrano
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
John Papsidera -
Animated Feature
Image Credit: Netflix
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Production Design
Image Credit: Netflix “Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.) ***
Patrick Vermette, Zsuzsanna Sipos, Shane Vieau
“The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth” (Netflix)
Donald Graham Burt
“La Bola Negra” (Netflix)
Roger Bellés, Judit Ferrer
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
Ruth De Jong, Larry Dias, Gene Serdena
“Project Hail Mary” (Amazon MGM Studios)
Charles Wood, John Bush -
Cinematography
Image Credit: Warner Bros. “Digger” (Warner Bros.)
Emmanuel Lubezki
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.) ***
Linus Sandgren
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
Hoyte van Hoytema
“Project Hail Mary” (Amazon MGM Studios)
Greig Fraser
“You Can See Everything” (A24)
David Bolen -
Costume Design
Image Credit: Screenshot courtesy YouTube/Focus Features “Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.) ***
Jacqueline West
“La Bola Negra” (Netflix)
Ana López Cobos
“Michael” (Lionsgate)
Marci Rodgers
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
Ellen Mirojnick
“Sense and Sensibility” (Focus Features)
Grace Snell -
Film Editing
Image Credit: A24 “The Debut” (A24)
Robert Nassau
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.)
Joe Walker
“The Invite” (A24)
Yorgos Mavropsaridis, Anthony Boys
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures) ***
Jennifer Lame
“Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight Pictures)
Mikkel E.G. Nielsen -
Makeup and Hairstyling
Image Credit: ©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection “Digger” (Warner Bros.)
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.) ***
“Michael” (Lionsgate)
“The Mosquito Bowl” (Netflix)
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures) -
Sound
Image Credit: Amazon MGM Studios “Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.) ***
“La Bola Negra” (Netflix)
“Michael” (Lionsgate)
“Project Hail Mary” (Amazon MGM Studios)
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures) -
Visual Effects
Image Credit: ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection “Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.) ***
“Godzilla Minus Zero” (Toho)
“Project Hail Mary” (Amazon MGM Studios)
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (Sony Pictures)
“Wildwood” (Laika) -
Original Score
Image Credit: Courtesy of Apple TV “The Debut” (A24)
Emile Mosseri
“Dune: Part Three” (Warner Bros.) ***
Hans Zimmer
“The Odyssey” (Universal Pictures)
Ludwig Göransson
“Tenzing” (Apple Original Films)
Rebekka Karijord
“Wildwood” (Laika)
Dario Marianelli -
Original Song
Image Credit: Courtesy Bleecker Street “By Any Means” from “By Any Means” (Paramount Pictures)
“This City May Have Chewed Me Up (But It Hasn’t Spit Me Out)” from “The Debut” (A24) ***
“Let Me Sell You a Dream” from “Musk” (Bleecker Street)
“I Knew It, I Knew You” from “Toy Story 5” (Pixar)
TBA song from “Wildwood” (Laika) -
Documentary Feature
Image Credit: William Greaves Productions “The Disciple: A Wu-Tang Fable” (Netflix)
Joanna Natasegara
“Everest: The Other Side” (National Geographic)
Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
“Musk” (Bleecker Street)
Alex Gibney
“Once Upon a Time in Harlem” (Neon)
David Greaves, Liani Greaves, William Greaves
“You Can See Everything” (A24) ***
Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim -
International Feature
Image Credit: Courtesy of The Barricades
