The Film Academy has released the shortlists, twelve in total, that show the top candidates for specific categories, for the 2026 Academy Awards, with the nominations set to take place on January 22nd.
The shortlist includes Casting, a brand-new field included in the ceremony; Cinematography; Documentary Feature Film; International Feature Film; Makeup and Hairstyling; Music (both for Original Score and Original Song); Sound; and Visual Effects. There were also short film shortlists released in the categories of Animated, Documentary, and Live Action. Sinners and Wicked: For Good led the shortlist with eight mentions across different categories; Frankenstein totaled six, with One Battle After Another and F1: The Movie, and Sirât following close with five mentions. Train Dreams and Marty Supreme were mentioned four times, while Hamnet and Sentimental Value got three.
Voting for nominations will run from January 12th to January 16th, while the actual ceremony will take place on March 15th. The full 12 shortlists can be viewed below, paired with the Academy’s descriptions of each field; all are listed in alphabetical order by title, except International, which is organized by country.
Animated Short Film
Fifteen films are set to advance in this category; the list is from the “one hundred thirteen films that qualified” in the preliminary round of voting, in which members of the Animation and Short Films branches participated, provided they met the “minimum viewing requirement.” Academy members from all branches will be invited to “participate and must view all 15 shortlisted films to vote” for the nominees.
“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
Ten films are set to advance in this category, with Casting Directors Branch members voting for the shortlist and nominees.
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle after Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sirât
Weapons
Wicked: For Good
Cinematography
Sixteen films are set to advance in this category, with voting by members of the Cinematographers Branch to determine both the shortlist and the nominees.
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
Fifteen films are set to advance in this category, from a total of “two hundred one films” that were eligible. Members of the Documentary Branch voted to decide the shortlist and the nominees.
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
Documentary Short Film
Fifteen films are set to advance in this category, with one hundred seventeen; this shortlist was also determined by members of the Documentary Branch.
“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”
International Feature Film
Fifteen films are set to advance in this category, with films from eighty-six countries/regions available to vote on by Academy members from all branches, but must have met the “minimum viewing requirement.” Academy members from all branches will also be allowed to vote on the nominees, but are required to view all fifteen films before doing so.
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
Live Action Short Film
Fifteen films are set to advance in this category, like the International Feature category. All members from all branches were allowed to vote on the two hundred seven films eligible for the shortlist under the same requirements. This applies to participating in selecting the nominees for this category as well.
“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”
Makeup and Hairstyling
Ten films are set to advance in this category. Makeup Artists and Hairstylists branch members vote to determine both the shortlist and nominees.
The Alto Knights
Frankenstein
Kokuho
Marty Supreme
Nuremberg
One Battle after Another
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
The Ugly Stepsister
Wicked: For Good
Music, Original Score
Twenty scores are set to advance in this category; from the hundred available to Academy members in the Music branch to vote on, they will also determine the nominations.
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
Music, Original Song
Fifteen songs are set to advance in this category, sixty-five songs were eligible for members of the Music branch to vote on, and, like the category above, the members are set to determine the nominees as well.
“As Alive As You Need Me To Be” from Tron: Ares
“Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless
“Dream As One” from Avatar: Fire and Ash
“Drive” from F1
“Dying To Live” from Billy Idol Should Be Dead
“The Girl In The Bubble” from Wicked: For Good
“Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters
“Highest 2 Lowest” from Highest 2 Lowest
“I Lied To You” from Sinners
“Last Time (I Seen The Sun)” from Sinners
“No Place Like Home” from Wicked: For Good
“Our Love” from The Ballad of Wallis Island
“Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from Come See Me in the Good Light
“Sweet Dreams Of Joy” from Viva Verdi!
“Train Dreams” from Train Dreams
Sound
Ten films are set to advance in this category; members from the Sound Branch vote to pick the shortlist and the nominees.
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
Visual Effects
Ten films are set to advance in this category, with the Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee choosing the shortlist; the nominees will be determined by the Visual Effects Branch members.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
The Electric State
F1
Frankenstein
Jurassic World Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners
Superman
Tron: Ares
Wicked: For Good
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