The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released the shortlists for 12 categories at the 98th Academy Awards. The categories are Animated Short Film, Casting, Cinematography, Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film, International Feature Film, Live Action Short Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Sound and Visual Effects.
India’s Neeraj Ghaywan directed and Dharma Productions produced Homebound has been shortlisted under the International Feature Film category.
Animated Short Film
- Autokar
- Butterfly
- Cardboard
- Éiru
- Forevergreen
- The Girl Who Cried Pearls
- Hurikán
- I Died in Irpin
- The Night Boots
- Playing God
- The Quinta’s Ghost
- Retirement Plan
- The Shyness of Trees
- Snow Bear
- The Three Sisters
Casting
Academy members will be invited to view excerpts from the shortlisted films and pre-recorded interviews with their casting directors on Friday, 9 January 2026, in Los Angeles and London, and in New York on Saturday, 10 January 2026.
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- One Battle after Another
- The Secret Agent
- Sentimental Value
- Sinners
- Sirât
- Weapons
- Wicked: For Good
Cinematography
- Ballad of a Small Player
- Bugonia
- Die My Love
- F1
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- Marty Supreme
- Nouvelle Vague
- One Battle after Another
- Sentimental Value
- Sinners
- Sirât
- Song Sung Blue
- Sound of Falling
- Train Dreams
- Wicked: For Good
Documentary Feature Film
- The Alabama Solution
- Apocalypse in the Tropics
- Coexistence, My Ass!
- Come See Me in the Good Light
- Cover-Up
- Cutting through Rocks
- Folktales
- Holding Liat
- Mr. Nobody against Putin
- Mistress Dispeller
- My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 – Last Air in Moscow
- The Perfect Neighbor
- Seeds
- 2000 Meters to Andriivka
- Yanuni
Documentary Short Film
- All the Empty Rooms
- All the Walls Came Down
- Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
- Bad Hostage
- Cashing Out
- Chasing Time
- Children No More: “Were and Are Gone
- Classroom 4
- The Devil Is Busy
- Heartbeat
- Last Days on Lake Trinity
- On Healing Land, Birds Perch
- Perfectly a Strangeness
- Rovina’s Choice
- We Were the Scenery
International Feature Film
- Argentina – Belén
- Brazil – The Secret Agent
- France – It Was Just an Accident
- Germany – Sound of Falling
- India – Homebound
- Iraq – The President’s Cake
- Japan – Kokuho
- Jordan – All That’s Left of You
- Norway – Sentimental Value
- Palestine – Palestine 36
- South Korea – No Other Choice
- Spain – Sirât
- Switzerland – Late Shift
- Taiwan – Left-Handed Girl
- Tunisia – The Voice of Hind Rajab
Live Action Short Film
- Ado
- Amarela
- Beyond Silence
- The Boy with White Skin
- Butcher’s Stain
- Butterfly on a Wheel
- Dad’s Not Home
- Extremist
- A Friend of Dorothy
- Jane Austen’s Period Drama
- Pantyhose
- The Pearl Comb
- Rock, Paper, Scissors
- The Singers
- Two People Exchanging Saliva
Makeup And Hairstyling
- The Alto Knights
- Frankenstein
- Kokuho
- Marty Supreme
- Nuremberg
- One Battle after Another
- Sinners
- The Smashing Machine
- The Ugly Stepsister
- Wicked: For Good
Music (Original Score)
- Avatar: Fire and Ash
- Bugonia
- Captain America: Brave New World
- Diane Warren: Relentless
- F1
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- Hedda
- A House of Dynamite
- Jay Kelly
- Marty Supreme
- Nuremberg
- One Battle after Another
- Sinners
- Sirât
- Train Dreams
- Tron: Ares
- Truth and Treason
- Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
- Wicked: For Good
Music (Original Song)
- As Alive As You Need Me To Be from Tron: Ares
- Dear Me from Diane Warren: Relentless
- Dream As One from Avatar: Fire and Ash
- Drive from F1
- Dying To Live from Billy Idol Should Be Dead
- The Girl In The Bubble from Wicked: For Good
- Golden from KPop Demon Hunters
- Highest 2 Lowest from Highest 2 Lowest
- I Lied To You from Sinners
- Last Time (I Seen The Sun) from Sinners
- No Place Like Home from Wicked: For Good
- Our Love from The Ballad of Wallis Island
- Salt Then Sour Then Sweet from Come See Me in the Good Light
- Sweet Dreams Of Joy from Viva Verdi!
- Train Dreams from Train Dreams
Sound
Academy members will be invited to view excerpts from each of the shortlisted films beginning Saturday, 10 January 2025, in the San Francisco Bay area, London and New York, followed by Los Angeles on Sunday, 11 January 2026.
- Avatar: Fire and Ash
- F1
- Frankenstein
- Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
- One Battle after Another
- Sinners
- Sirât
- Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
- Superman
- Wicked: For Good
Visual Effects
Academy members will be invited to view excerpts and interviews with the artists from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, 10 January 2026.
- Avatar: Fire and Ash
- The Electric State
- F1
- Frankenstein
- Jurassic World Rebirth
- The Lost Bus
- Sinners
- Superman
- Tron: Ares
- Wicked: For Good
Nominations voting will begin on Monday, 12 January 2026, and conclude on Friday, 16 January 2026. Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, 22 January 2026.
Twenty-four categories will be awarded at the 98th Oscars. Each category has five nominees, except for Best Picture, which has 10. Best Picture nominations are determined by eligible members from all 19 Academy branches. All rounds of Oscars voting are conducted by secret online ballot, tabulated by the independent accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, 15 March 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
