Rotten Tomatoes Predicts the 2026 Oscar Winners
Check out our predictions for who will take home the hardware in all the major categories at the 98th Academy Awards.
After months of speculation, surprises, and ceremonies, we have finally reached the end of awards season. And with a few days left until Oscar night, we are making our final predictions for which films Oscar voters will dub the Best of 2025.
Thankfully, we are on the cusp of one of the most captivating and drama-filled awards seasons in recent memory. Whether it’s a Best Actor contender throwing shade at the ballet and opera communities, the fact that only one of the four acting contests looks to be decided, or a bona fide race for Best Picture, this will be one for the history books.
And though some will bemoan the unpredictability of these final weeks, we are relishing it. With so many awards season races already decided before we even get to February, it is refreshing, if not welcome, to be going into the final moments with no clear picture of who will win in several of the top categories. And if anyone is sitting here today claiming they can definitively predict who will take home the prize in either the supporting contests or Best Picture, we fear those folks are operating in fantasy.
We arrived at our decisions on this year’s prizes by relying on industry buzz, the quiet whispers in various tastemakers’ circles, and post-screening Q&As, as well as our Awards Leaderboard, which breaks down all the wins that got us to this point. We also had to look at Oscar’s history and relied on a bit of intuition.
As much as we love Sinners, the history of the Academy Awards as it relates to horror is hard to shake. Still, what Ryan Coogler and his team have created does make an upset on Oscar night an interesting possibility, despite the fact that Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another has swept the guild awards for Best Director, Best Producer, and Best Cinematography, as well as splitting prizes with Sinners at the Writers Guild. And yet, Sinners winning Best Ensemble and Best Actor at last weekend’s SAG Awards, along with the film’s overall industry goodwill, also make it almost impossible to deny. It seems Coogler’s masterful vampire period piece is peaking at just the right time. Whether or not it’s enough to win is the only question.
We try to answer that, as well as the other burning questions about the other highly competitive categories. Read on for our picks on who will take home the prize at this year’s Oscars, and be sure to check out our other Oscars content, including a deep dive on previous award ceremonies throughout the years.
Recommended: Awards Calendar: 2025-2026 | Oscar Nominations | Awards Leaderboard
Best Picture
Who will win?
One Battle After Another
Possible Spoilers: Sinners
Actress in a Leading Role
Who will win?
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Actor In a Leading Role
Who will win?
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Possible Spoilers: Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Costume Design
Who will win?
Frankenstein
Production Design
Who will win?
Frankenstein
Cinematography
Who will win?
One Battle After Another
Actress in a Supporting Role
Who will win?
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Possible Spoilers: Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Actor In a Supporting Role
Who will win?
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Possible Spoilers: Delroy Lindo – Sinners
International Feature Film
Who will win?
Sentimental Value
Music (Original Score)
Who will win?
Sinners
Directing
Who will win?
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
wRITING (Adapted Screenplay)
Who will win?
One Battle After Another
wRITING (Original Screenplay)
Who will win?
Sinners
Animated Feature Film
Who will win?
KPop Demon Hunters
Music (Original Song)
Who will win?
KPop Demon Hunters – “Golden”
Casting
Who will win?
Sinners
The 98th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
