I wasn’t all het up about this Oscars this year. I think that’s because I saw Sinners very early in the awards season and my brain (rightly) went, “Welp, that’s it. There ain’t gonna be a better movie this year.”
And there wasn’t. Sure, No Other Choice came close. Well, kind of close. When Sinners wins Best Picture on Sunday, it will be my favorite Best Picture win since Everything Everywhere All At Once. I can’t wait to hear the speech!
I warmed up as awards season ramped up, though. The Actor Awards were honestly fantastic. Netflix really learned from its freshman debut last year. They are taking risks in an exciting and not cheesy (but sometimes campy) way that my brain really loves. And Kristen Bell was a wonderful host.
Let’s see how Conan does on Sunday. In my heart of hearts, I know he’ll do great, but I’m also hoping he takes things far enough and doesn’t pussyfoot around the big issues. Until then, here are my picks for the Oscar Winner of 2026!!
And please know, when I say “Pick,” this is not who I think is GOING to win. I mean who I WANT to win. This is a very important nuance.
And also, since there were some pretty big snubs this year, IMHO, here are my top ten (and where to watch them, of course):
Valley Of Oh’s Top Ten Movies of the 2026 Oscar Season
- Sinners (HBOMax)
- No Other Choice (VOD)
- Boys Go To Jupiter (HBOMax)
- Hamnet (Peacock)
- The Long Walk (AMC+)
- Frankenstein (Netflix)
- Bugonia (Peacock)
- Sentimental Value (VOD)
- Marty Supreme (VOD)
- One of Them Days (Netflix)
Before I get into my Oscar picks, I want to expand on two HUGE SNUBS:
- No Other Choice
- Totally robbed, gloriously dark, and stunning to look at. Everything came together and told the story perfectly, and the acting was breathtaking. I have no idea why it was overlooked, but it was probably politics or some other bullshit.
- Boys Go to Jupiter
- I wanted this nominated for Best Animated Feature so badly. I wanted it to win, but not all my dreams can come true, right?
- I waited and waited and waited for this movie to come to my city. I started following Julian Glander after Mickey bought my Julio Torres’ book, I Want to Be a Vase, and became obsessed (I have OCD, I can say that) with the art style. When I saw they made a film, with a lot of voice acting by people I already loved. I knew I had to see it. But it never came to Detroit.
- Look, I even messaged Julian Glander once and asked him how I could help bring Boys Go To Jupiter to the Motor City.
- I rented it immediately when it became available on VOD. I felt all kinds of emotions while watching it. As a Florida gal who is really into surreal shit, it hit all the right notes. And as a piece of art? Well, it was simply magical.
- I have only felt the way I felt when I was watching this movie one other time, and that was Swiss Army Man. When we walked out of that theater opening weekend, I turned to Mickey and said, “The next movie The Daniels make is gonna be a masterpiece,” and, well, it was. (See my above love for EEAAO). I think the next thing Julian Glander makes will be equally magical (and award-worthy).
- So watch Julian Glander’s career ascend along with me, okay? Okay.
Enough babbling. Here are my Oscar pics. (I am pulling my Oscar odds from Gold Derby dot com on Saturday morning.)
Best Picture
- Bugonia
- Ed Guiney & Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone and Lars Knudsen, Producers
- F1
- Chad Oman, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Joseph Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer, Producers
- Frankenstein
- Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale and Scott Stuber, Producers
- Hamnet
- Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes, Producers
- Marty Supreme
- Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Anthony Katagas and Timothée Chalamet, Producers
- One Battle after Another
- Adam Somner, Sara Murphy and Paul Thomas Anderson, Producers
- The Secret Agent
- Emilie Lesclaux, Producer
- Sentimental Value
- Maria Ekerhovd and Andrea Berentsen Ottmar, Producers
- Sinners
- Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian and Ryan Coogler, Producers
- Train Dreams
- Marissa McMahon, Teddy Schwarzman, Will Janowitz, Ashley Schlaifer and Michael Heimler, Producers
Will win, according to odds: One Battle After Another
Should win, according to Jacki: Sinners
There is no question in my mind that Sinners was the best Pic of the year. I mean, I walked out of it with No Notes. That’s a very high (in all the ways) Jacki compliment.
Directing
- Hamnet, Chloé Zhao
- Marty Supreme, Josh Safdie
- One Battle after Another, Paul Thomas Anderson
- Sentimental Value, Joachim Trier
- Sinners, Ryan Coogler
Will win, according to odds: One Battle after Another, Paul Thomas Anderson
Should win, according to Jacki: Sinners, Ryan Coogler
See above. Coogler directed pure magic.
Actor in a Leading Role
- Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
- Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle after Another
- Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
- Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
- Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
Will win, according to odds: Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
Should win, according to Jacki: Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
I mean the dimples of it all!
Actress in a Leading Role
- Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
- Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
- Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue
- Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
- Emma Stone, Bugonia
Will win, according to odds: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Should win, according to Jacki: Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Look, Jessie Buckley was great, transcendent, even. She always is. I’ve never seen her give a bad or even medium performance. However, Rose Byrne was astounding in IIHLIKY. Her face took up the bulk of the screen for the bulk of the movie, and she acted the SHIT out of that role. The movie was incredible and I will never ever watch it again.
Actor in a Supporting Role
- Benicio Del Toro, One Battle after Another
- Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
- Delroy Lindo, Sinners
- Sean Penn, One Battle after Another
- Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value
Will win, according to odds: Sean Penn, One Battle after Another
Should win, according to Jacki: Delroy Lindo, Sinners OR Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein OR Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value
Literally anyone but the OBAA fellas. Scene chewin’ motherfuckers.
Actress in a Supporting Role
- Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value
- Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
- Amy Madigan, Weapons
- Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
- Teyana Taylor, One Battle after Another
Will win, according to odds: Amy Madigan, Weapons
Should win, according to Jacki: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
Inga had the most difficult, nuanced role here, and she nailed it completely. I’d never heard of her before this movie and will be a lifelong fan. However, I’d honestly be happy with anyone in this category winning. Except maybe Elle Fanning? Not because I don’t love her or her performance… it just wasn’t as strong as the other nominated role from the same movie. Kind of like when Jamie Lee Curtis was the favorite (and eventual winner) over Stephanie Hsu for EEAAO.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
- Bugonia, Screenplay by Will Tracy
- Frankenstein. Written for the Screen by Guillermo del Toro
- Hamnet, Screenplay by Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell
- One Battle after Another, Written by Paul Thomas Anderson
- Train Dreams, Screenplay by Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar
Will win, according to odds: One Battle after Another, Written by Paul Thomas Anderson
Should win, according to Jacki: Hamnet, Screenplay by Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell
Writing (Original Screenplay)
- Blue Moon, Written by Robert Kaplow
- It Was Just an Accident, Written by Jafar Panahi; Script collaborators – Nader Saïvar, Shadmehr Rastin, Mehdi Mahmoudian
- Marty Supreme, Written by Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie
- Sentimental Value, Written by Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
- Sinners, Written by Ryan Coogler
Will win, according to odds: Sinners, Written by Ryan Coogler
Should win, according to Jacki: Sinners, Written by Ryan Coogler
Duh.
Animated Feature Film
- Arco, Ugo Bienvenu, Félix de Givry, Sophie Mas and Natalie Portman
- Elio, Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina and Mary Alice Drumm
- KPop Demon Hunters, Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans and Michelle L.M. Wong
- Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han, Nidia Santiago and Henri Magalon
- Zootopia 2, Jared Bush, Byron Howard and Yvett Merino
Will win, according to odds: KPop Demon Hunters, Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans and Michelle L.M. Wong
Should win, according to Jacki: Boys Go To Jupiter, Julian Glander
A girl can dream, right?!
Animated Short Film
- Butterfly, Florence Miailhe and Ron Dyens
- Forevergreen, Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears
- The Girl Who Cried Pearls, Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski
- Retirement Plan, John Kelly and Andrew Freedman
- The Three Sisters, Konstantin Bronzit
Will win, according to odds: Butterfly, Florence Miailhe and Ron Dyens
Should win, according to Jacki: The Girl Who Cried Pearls, Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski
Casting (1st time for this award!!!)
- Hamnet, Nina Gold
- Marty Supreme, Jennifer Venditti
- One Battle after Another, Cassandra Kulukundis
- The Secret Agent, Gabriel Domingues
- Sinners, Francine Maisler
Will win, according to odds: Sinners, Francine Maisler
Should win, according to Jacki: Sinners, Francine Maisler
But also, I truly think The Long Walk should have been nominated here. The cast was incredible (and I really enjoyed that movie, ya’ll.)
Cinematography
- Frankenstein, Dan Laustsen
- Marty Supreme, Darius Khondji
- One Battle after Another, Michael Bauman
- Sinners, Autumn Durald Arkapaw
- Train Dreams, Adolpho Veloso
Will win, according to odds: One Battle after Another, Michael Bauman
Should win, according to Jacki: Sinners, Autumn Durald Arkapaw
If Autumn Durald Arkapaw wins, she will be the first Cinematagropher to do so in Oscar history. Also, I think literally every other nominee is more worthy than OBAA. That hilly car chase was great, though. Ya girl loves a car chase.
Costume Design
- Avatar: Fire and Ash, Deborah L. Scott
- Frankenstein, Kate Hawley
- Hamnet, Malgosia Turzanska
- Marty Supreme, Miyako Bellizzi
- Sinners, Ruth E. Carter
Will win, according to odds: Frankenstein, Kate Hawley
Should win, according to Jacki: Frankenstein, Kate Hawley
I would pick Sinners here too, but recently learned that Ruth E Carter used an AI “artist” to create concept designs, and I do not want to support the use of AI. It’s a shame, really, cause Ruth Carter has been doing this long enough not to rely on mindless tech.
Film Editing
- F1, Stephen Mirrione
- Marty Supreme, Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
- One Battle after Another, Andy Jurgensen
- Sentimental Value, Olivier Bugge Coutté
- Sinners, Michael P. Shawver
Will win, according to odds: One Battle after Another, Andy Jurgensen
Should win, according to Jacki: Marty Supreme, Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
But I would also been fine with OBAA here.
Makeup and Hairstyling
- Frankenstein, Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey
- Kokuho, Kyoko Toyokawa, Naomi Hibino and Tadashi Nishimatsu
- Sinners, Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine and Shunika Terry
- The Smashing Machine, Kazu Hiro, Glen Griffin and Bjoern Rehbein
- The Ugly Stepsister, Thomas Foldberg and Anne Cathrine Sauerberg
Will win, according to odds: Frankenstein, Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey
Should win, according to Jacki: Frankenstein, Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey
Live-Action Short Film
- Butcher’s Stain, Meyer Levinson-Blount and Oron Caspi
- A Friend of Dorothy, Lee Knight and James Dean
- Jane Austen’s Period Drama, Julia Aks and Steve Pinder
- The Singers, Sam A. Davis and Jack Piatt
- Two People Exchanging Saliva, Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata
Will win, according to odds: A Friend of Dorothy, Lee Knight and James Dean
Should win, according to Jacki: Two People Exchanging Saliva, Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata
Music (Original Score)
Bugonia, Jerskin Fendrix
Frankenstein, Alexandre Desplat
Hamnet, Max Richter
One Battle after Another, Jonny Greenwood
Sinners, Ludwig Goransson
Will win, according to odds: Sinners, Ludwig Goransson
Should win, according to Jacki: Bugonia, Jerskin Fendrix
Now, I won’t be mad when Sinners wins this. However, I would love an upset here, because what Jerskin Fendrix did with munane moments was pure magic.
Also, please note: Yes, I adore Max Richter, and what he did with the score for Hamnet was quite moving and fit the film well. However, I think “On the Nature of Daylight” did the real heavy lifting in this film, and it wasn’t created for the movie, so it’s not part of the nominated score.
Also, also, please note: I think Daniel Lopatin was robbed of a nomination for his work on Marty Supreme.
Music (Original Song)
- “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless; Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
- “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters; Music and Lyric by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park
- “I Lied To You” from Sinners; Music and Lyric by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Goransson
- “Sweet Dreams Of Joy” from Viva Verdi!; Music and Lyric by Nicholas Pike
- “Train Dreams” from Train Dreams; Music by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner; Lyric by Nick Cave
Will win, according to odds: “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters; Music and Lyric by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park
Should win, according to Jacki: “I Lied To You” from Sinners; Music and Lyric by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Goransson
When this song hit the screen, it knocked the breath right outta me.
Documentary Feature Film
- The Alabama Solution, Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman
- Come See Me in the Good Light, Ryan White, Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro and Stef Willen
- Cutting through Rocks, Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni
- Mr. Nobody against Putin, David Borenstein, Pavel Talankin, Helle Faber and Alžběta Karásková
- The Perfect Neighbor, Geeta Gandbhir, Alisa Payne, Nikon Kwantu and Sam Bisbee
Will win, according to odds: The Perfect Neighbor, Geeta Gandbhir, Alisa Payne, Nikon Kwantu and Sam Bisbee
Should win, according to Jacki: Come See Me in the Good Light, Ryan White, Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro and Stef Willen
Come See Me in the Good Light destroyed me, and The Good Neighbor isn’t doing much more than a YouTube channel.
Documentary Short Film
- All the Empty Rooms, Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones
- Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud, Craig Renaud and Juan Arredondo
- Children No More: “Were and Are Gone”, Hilla Medalia and Sheila Nevins
- The Devil Is Busy, Christalyn Hampton and Geeta Gandbhir
- Perfectly a Strangeness, Alison McAlpine
Will win, according to odds: All the Empty Rooms, Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones
Should win, according to Jacki: All the Empty Rooms, Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones
International Feature Film
- The Secret Agent, Brazil
- It Was Just an Accident, France
- Sentimental Value, Norway
- Sirāt, Spain
- The Voice of Hind Rajab, Tunisia
Will win, according to odds: Sentimental Value, Norway
Should win, according to Jacki: Sentimental Value, Norway
Production Design
- Frankenstein, Production Design: Tamara Deverell; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau
- Hamnet, Production Design: Fiona Crombie; Set Decoration: Alice Felton
- Marty Supreme, Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis
- One Battle after Another, Production Design: Florencia Martin; Set Decoration: Anthony Carlino
- Sinners, Production Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Monique Champagne
Will win, according to odds: Frankenstein, Production Design: Tamara Deverell; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau
Should win, according to Jacki: Sinners, Production Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Monique Champagne
Sound
- F1, Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo and Juan Peralta
- Frankenstein, Greg Chapman, Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke and Brad Zoern
- One Battle after Another, José Antonio García, Christopher Scarabosio and Tony Villaflor
- Sinners, Chris Welcker, Benjamin A. Burtt, Felipe Pacheco, Brandon Proctor and Steve Boeddeker
- Sirāt, Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas and Yasmina Praderas
Will win, according to odds: F1, Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo and Juan Peralta
Should win, according to Jacki: Sinners, Chris Welcker, Benjamin A. Burtt, Felipe Pacheco, Brandon Proctor and Steve Boeddeker
I would also make the argument that Marty Supreme should have been nominated here.
Visual Effects
- Avatar: Fire and Ash, Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett
- F1, Ryan Tudhope, Nicolas Chevallier, Robert Harrington and Keith Dawson
- Jurassic World Rebirth, David Vickery, Stephen Aplin, Charmaine Chan and Neil Corbould
- The Lost Bus, Charlie Noble, David Zaretti, Russell Bowen and Brandon K. McLaughlin
- Sinners, Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter and Donnie Dean
Will win, according to odds: Avatar: Fire and Ash, Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett
Should win, according to Jacki: Sinners, Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter and Donnie Dean
Til Sunday:
Basically, I want Sinners to win as much as possible, maybe even breaking the record number of wins. I’ll be holed up watching the ceremony on an old school television, because I’m still not giving my money to Hulu/Disney.
I might even old school chat over on the ValleyOfOh discord. Join me, won’t you?
