Gold Derby has officially launched its early predictions center for the Oscars 2026 nominations, inviting movie fans and industry watchers to test their forecasting skills. Although the Academy Awards nominees won’t be announced until January 22, 2026, enthusiasts can now weigh in on potential winners across major categories including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor.
With nearly 50 films already in contention for Best Picture, the predictions center will be updated weekly to reflect new studio releases, campaign strategies, and emerging frontrunners. Only films with a confirmed U.S. distributor and an official or approximate 2025 release date are included. Later this year, Gold Derby plans to expand the predictions to cover additional crafts categories such as animation, documentary, international films, and short films.
Among the high-profile directors vying for Oscar glory in 2026 are:
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Paul Thomas Anderson with One Battle After Another (Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Sean Penn) — Warner Bros.
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Darren Aronofsky with Caught Stealing (Austin Butler, Liev Schreiber, Regina King) — Sony
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Noah Baumbach with Jay Kelly (George Clooney, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Adam Sandler) — Netflix
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Kathryn Bigelow with A House of Dynamite (Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Greta Lee) — Netflix
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James Cameron with Avatar: Fire and Ash (Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña) — 20th Century
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Guillermo del Toro with Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz) — Netflix
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Spike Lee with Highest 2 Lowest (Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright) — A24 / Apple Original Films
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Chloé Zhao with Hamnet (Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, Emily Watson) — Focus
Other notable contenders include projects from Ryan Coogler, Luca Guadagnino, Yorgos Lanthimos, Richard Linklater, James L. Brooks, and many more.
This early prediction event is perfect for Oscar fans to engage with the awards season well ahead of the official announcements. Be sure to check back regularly as the 2026 Oscars predictions evolve leading up to the ceremony.
