On Thursday, January 22, the list of final nominations for the 98th Academy Awards i.e. Oscar 2026 was released. There was increased curiosity for this across the world. This year, many such films have been nominated in 2025 which have won the hearts of the audience through their powerful story, excellent direction and brilliant acting.

India’s ‘homebound’ journey

India had chosen Karan Johar’s film ‘Homebound’ for representation. This film was included in the top-15, but could not make its place in the final nomination list. Nevertheless, it is considered a significant achievement for Indian cinema.

Best film category competition

A total of 10 films have received nominations in the Best Film category, which include Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners and Train Dreams. Interestingly, three Warner Bros films have been successful in making it to this category.

Race for best actor and actress

Leading actors like Timothee Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent) have been nominated in the Best Actor category.

Meanwhile, in the Best Actress category, Emma Stone (Bugonia), Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue) and Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value) have received nominations.

Announcement of best supporting roles

The Best Supporting Actor category includes the names of actors like Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn and Stellan Skarsgard.

Elle Fanning, Wunmi Mosaku and Teyana Taylor have been nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

Direction and specialty of international films

Names like Chloe Zhao, Paul Thomas Anderson and Ryan Coogler have been nominated for Best Director.

Films from Brazil, France, Norway, Spain and Tunisia also received nominations for Best International Feature Film.

Importance of story and screenplay

Films like Sinners, Marty Supreme, Hamnet and Frankenstein have received nominations in the Best Original and Adapted Screenplay category.

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