2026 Oscars predictions: Our expert's picks in every category

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Tears have been shed.Heads have been shaved.

Blimps have been moored.The movie that broke the all-time record for nominations came out nearly a year ago, while the favorite to win best picture hit theaters in September.

So, yes, it’s time for both a reset and a coronation, time to (finally) close the book on an awards season that, until recently, felt short on surprises and long on ...well, just plain long.

The exhaustive and exhausting buildup to the Oscars is nearly over and the two movies that have the best shot at winning the top prize — Paul Thomas Anderson’s darkly comedic action-thriller “One Battle After Another” and Ryan Coogler’s genre-defying American horror story “Sinners” — also happen to be the best films released in 2025.There’s no bad choice.

But choose we must — and not just for best picture.Twenty-three other categories will be awarded Sunday at the 98th Academy Awards too.

So start up your Oscar pools and read on for final Oscar predictions.We’re almost at the finish line.“Bugonia”“F1”“Frankenstein”“Hamnet”“Marty Supreme”“One Battle After Another”“The Secret Agent”“Sentimental Value”“Sinners”“Train Dreams”Will win: “One Battle After Another”Could surprise: “Sinners”In terms of worthiness, “One Battle” vs.

“Sinners” is very much a 1A/1B situation, with Anderson’s epic having the slight edge.But with the Oscars, quality is often secondary to an awards narrative.

Both movies have cultural relevance.Both won critical acclaim and, to a degree, commercial success.

(Though “One Battle” wasn’t the blockbuster “Sinners” was, it still grossed more than any other movie in Anderson’s career.) “Sinners” scored 16 Oscar nominations, the most in history; “One Battle” was close behind with 13.“One Battle” won with the Producers Guild, the precursor that most accur...