The 2026 Oscars are just a week away — and if you know the RUSSH team, you'll know that awards season lives rent-free in our heads year-round. The red carpet looks, the campaign trails, the whispered front-runners, the surprise snubs... we love it all.

Whether you subscribe to the Academy Awards as an arbiter of the best films (and performances) of the year, it's hard to deny that they’re still one of the most-watched, most-discussed cultural events in the film world. And we’ll be here, speculating until that final envelope is opened.

So, who’s tipped to win in 2026? These are our Oscar predictions for the year to come.

Hamnet

Hamnet is heading to the Oscars with several nominations up its sleeve, including Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Director. Jessie Buckley's portrayal of Agnes, the wife of William Shakespeare, grappling with the depths of grief has already earned her several other major awards, and we're predicting she's a shoo-in for Best Actress.

Predicted wins:

Best Actress – Jessie Buckley

Best Director – Chloe Zhao

One Battle After Another

Could this mark Leonardo di Caprio's second-ever Oscar win? The actor was reunited with director Paul Thomas Anderson in this film, where he plays Bob, a former radical now living off the grid with his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti). When she vanishes and an old enemy (Sean Penn) resurfaces, Bob is forced to re-enter the world he left behind, and the performance has earned di Caprio a nod for the Leading Actor category. While that's going to be an extremely tight race, we're predicting big things for this one in the Best Film category. And perhaps a nod for Teyana Taylor too.

Predicted wins:

Best Supporting Actress – Teyana Taylor

Best Picture

Best Cinematography

Sentimental Value

Danish-Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier, who brought us The Worst Person in the World, is back with this quietly devastating family drama. After the death of their mother, two estranged sisters — played by Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas — reconnect with their distant, once-famous filmmaker father (Stellan Skarsgård). Elle Fanning also stars in this intimate, dialogue-heavy film. It's a truly moving film — but don't just take our word for it, the film has a whopping nine Oscar nominations.

Predicted wins:

Best International Feature Film

Frankenstein

Could this be the role that brings Jacob Elordi into the Oscars fold? Guillermo del Toro's long-awaited Frankenstein adaptation finally arrived this year, earning Elordi a nomination for Best Supporting actor thanks to his turn as the Creature.  Gothic, atmospheric, and unmistakably del Toro, the film stars also Oscar Isaac as a haunted Victor Frankenstein, with Mia Goth as his ill-fated fiancée Elizabeth Lavenza.

Predicted wins:

Best Supporting Actor – Jacob Elordi

Best Costume Design

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Sinners

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is one of the most ambitious genre films in years — and the most nominated film in this year's Oscars race with 16 nods in total. Set in 1930s Mississippi, Michael B. Jordan plays twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore, returning to their hometown only to be confronted by a lurking supernatural evil. It’s part period drama, part Southern Gothic horror, and the dual-role performance from Jordan is career-defining. Could he take home Best Actor? Time will tell...

Predicted wins:

Best Actor – Michael B. Jordan

Best Production Design

Best Sound

Bugonia

From director Yorgos Lanthimos, Bugonia is a satirical science fiction black comedy about two conspiracy theorists who kidnap a powerful corporate executive they suspect is an alien plotting to destroy Earth. Emma Stone reunites with Lanthimos to play said CEO in a role that has earned her yet another Best Actress nomination, while Jesse Plemons plays one of the unhinged abductors. The film is also nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Score, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Predicted wins:

Best Adapted Screenplay

Best Original Score

Marty Supreme

Biopics have proved hits at the Oscars in recent years, and while Marty Supreme isn't strictly rooted in history, we're predicting it will have a similar impact. Set in the 1950s, Timothée Chalamet stars as a young Marty Mauser pursues his dream of becoming a champion table-tennis player. He has plenty of star power around him, with Gwyneth Paltrow and Tyler the Creator both in supporting roles. Could this one win big? Time will soon tell.

Predicted Wins:

Best Casting

Best Film Editing

Best Original Screenplay