Oscar Nominations Announced: Leading Films and New Categories Revealed for 98th Academy Awards

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists for the films competing in the 98th Academy Awards, marking the beginning of a crucial phase for the prestigious film honors.

This year's shortlists encompass 12 categories, including Best Original Song, Best Original Score, Best International Feature Film, and Best Documentary Feature. Notably, a new category, "Best Casting," has been introduced to emphasize the critical role of casting in filmmaking.

Leading the nominations are the films "Vampires," directed by Ryan Coogler, "Sinners," and the musical "Wicked: For Good," each securing eight nominations across major artistic categories such as makeup and hairstyling, sound, visual effects, original score, cinematography, casting, and original songs.

In the Best Original Song category, standout entries include "The Girl in the Bubble" and "No Place Like Home" from "Wicked," along with tracks from "Sinners" and the song "Golden" from the Netflix series "KPop Demon Hunters." The category also features contributions from renowned artists like Nick Cave, John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, and Diane Warren, who is in contention for her seventeenth nomination.

The Best International Feature Film shortlist includes 15 films from various countries, such as "The Voice of Hind Rajab" by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, "Emotional Value" by Norwegian director Joachim Trier, and "Cake of the President" by Iraqi director Hassan Hadi, alongside entries from Spain, France, Brazil, and South Korea.

The documentary category features films addressing significant political and humanitarian concerns, including "My Unwanted Friends," "The Ideal Neighbor," and "Come See Me in Good Light," as well as a collaborative project by the Associated Press and PBS Frontline titled "2000 Meters to Andreevka."

For the newly created "Best Casting" category, ten films are in contention for five final spots, including "Frankenstein," "Hamlet," "One Battle After Another," and "Sinners."

The final nominations will be announced on January 22, 2026, with the Oscar Awards ceremony scheduled for March 15, 2026, hosted live by Conan O'Brien on ABC.