The Yay Nay Or Meh Podcast

An updated list of predictions for what will be nominated for best picture at the 98th Academy awards in 2026. Adjusted in the wake of the Cannes Festival. In some kind of order for what will win, but mostly what I think will get nominated.

The rankings are based entirely on what I think might get into the Best Picture discussion and ignore any other categories. There are films near the bottom of this list which I firmly expect to be in the running for acting awards.

This list is in three tiers: 10 nominees, 15 contenders and 15 maybes?

Most of these will look foolish in a few months, but if I hit I’ll look like a genius.

1. After the Hunt Luca Guadagnino (Amazon-MGM)
2. Wicked: For Good Jon M. Chu (Universal)
3. Avatar: Fire and Ash James Cameron (20th Century)
4. Marty Supreme Josh Safdie (A24)
5. Deliver Me From Nowhere Scott Cooper (20th Century)
6. Jay Kelly Noah Baumbach (Netflix)
7. Sentimental Value Joachim Trier (Neon) Up
8. It Was Just An Accident Jafar Panahi (Neon) New Entry
9. Bugonia Yorgos Lanthimos (Focus)
10. Hamnet Chloé Zhao (Focus) Up
11. Die, My Love Lynne Ramsay (MUBI) Up
12. Sinners Ryan Coogler (Warner Bros)
13. Frankenstein Guillermo del Toro (Netflix) Down
14. Sound of Falling Mascha Schilinski (MUBI) Down
15. Eddington Ari Aster (A24) Down
16. One Battle After Another Paul Thomas Anderson (Warner Bros)
17. The Smashing Machine Benny Safdie (A24)
18. Sirât Oliver Laxe (Neon) New Entry
19. The Phoenician Scheme Wes Anderson (Focus)
20. The Rivals of Amziah King Andrew Patterson (TBD)
21. Hedda Nia DaCosta (Amazon-MGM)
22. Ann Lee Mona Fastvold (TBD)
23. F1 Joseph Kosinski (Warner Bros/Apple)
24. Rental Family Hikari (Searchlight)
25. The Secret Agent Kleber Mendonça Filho (Neon) New Entry
26. Untitled White House Thriller Kathryn Bigelow (Netflix) Down
27. The Life of Chuck Mike Flanagan (Neon) Down
28. Splitsville Michael Angelo Covino (Neon) Down
29. Eleanor the Great Scarlett Johansson (Sony Classics) Down
30. Blue Moon Richard Linklater (Sony Classics)
31. Nouvelle Vague Richard Linklater (Netflix)
32. Kiss of the Spider Woman Bill Condon (Lionsgate)
33. Ballad of a Small Player Edward Berger (Netflix)
34. No Other Choice Park Chan-Wook (TBD)
35. Highest 2 Lowest Spike Lee (A24/Apple)
36. The History of Sound Oliver Hermanus (MUBI)
37. Ella McCay James L. Brooks (20th Century) New Entry
38. Preparation For the Next Life Bing Liu (Amazon-MGM) New Entry
39. Pressure Anthony Maras (Focus) New Entry
40. The Mastermind Kelly Reichardt (MUBI) New Entry