The 2026 Academy Awards are nearly here, with Hollywood's biggest night set to air in the UK on Sunday night. ITV holds the broadcasting rights, with coverage beginning at 10.15pm GMT on ITV1 and streaming platform ITVX. The ceremony, hosted by Conan O'Brien, promises drama both on and off the stage, with tensions over the war with Iran and the Gaza invasion potentially fuelling podium outbursts.
This year's awards season has been eventful, from the N-word controversy at the Baftas to the Timothée Chalamet Balletgate. The main race for the top prizes is shaping up to be a straight fight between Ryan Coogler's vampire thriller Sinners and Paul Thomas Anderson's Thomas Pynchon adaptation One Battle After Another. Despite Anderson's project initially having the edge, Sinners earned the most nominations of any film, shifting momentum in its direction.
The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw has offered his predictions for the major categories. He forecasts Sinners to win Best Picture, with Leonardo DiCaprio taking Best Actor for One Battle After Another and Jessie Buckley winning Best Actress for Hamnet. In the supporting categories, he tips Sean Penn for One Battle After Another and Amy Madigan for Weapons. Bradshaw also predicts Paul Thomas Anderson will win Best Director, with One Battle After Another taking Best Adapted Screenplay and Sinners for Best Original Screenplay.
The full list of nominees includes strong contenders in other categories: The Perfect Neighbor for Best Documentary, Zootopia 2 for Best Animated Film, and Sentimental Value for Best International Film. The In Memoriam segment will pay tribute to Rob Reiner, among others. For those wanting to stay informed, interviews with key players such as Ryan Coogler, Amy Madigan, and Ethan Hawke are available, alongside analysis of the films that missed out and the rise of 'difficult' characters.
