Oscars 2026: The insider's guide to who will take home the Academy Awards

“One Battle After Another” isn’t just one of the year’s top Oscar contenders — it’s an apt description of a remarkably unpredictable season. The contest has been shaped by industry politicking and a few scandals, including the controversy around Emilia Perez star Karla Sofia Gascon, while last year’s Oscar race was largely cut-and-dry.

One clear outlier: Jessie Buckley of “Hamnet,” whom most pundits agree will take the Best Actress trophy after she dodged an absurd last‑minute backlash over not liking cats. The best picture race is tight between Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” and Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another,” and awards experts remain divided — Variety’s Clayton Davis predicts a “Sinners” sweep while Johnny Oleksinski of The Post is backing “One Battle.” Anderson’s film started strong with wins at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, PGAs and DGAs, while “Sinners” has surged with an Actor Awards victory, a record‑breaking 16 Oscar nominations and a BAFTA scandal that generated goodwill for its cast, notably Michael B.

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