Voting for the upcoming Oscars ceremony has officially closed, and there are some clear favorites, particularly in the race for the Best Picture accolade. With the 98th Academy Awards set to conclude the Awards season, several anonymous voters have opened up about their picks for several categories, while also shedding light on the recent industry trends in an interview with Variety.

Before the voting for this year’s Academy Awards commenced, the Oscars announced a new rule that made it mandatory for all Academy members to experience all the nominees in a given category before registering their vote. Although this rule should have been implemented years ago, this new regulation has contributed to some last-minute favorites this season.

Without further going on a tangent about some of the more frustrating developments in this year’s Academy voting, here’s an overview of all the notable contenders who are leading the charge in their respective categories.

Oscar Race Tightens Between One Battle After Another and Sinners

Credit: Academy Awards

2025, by all accounts, was a huge year for original acclaimed movies. Although it’s a shame certain works, like Park Chan-wook’s recent masterpiece No Other Choice, didn’t make the final cut, the ten final nominees are all impeccable in their own right, at least most of them anyway.

But while this should’ve been one of the most competitive years for Best Picture, Sinners and One Battle After Another are leading the race by a huge margin, both in terms of Best Picture and Best Director. Although Paul Thomas Anderson seems to have the edge over Ryan Coogler in the directorial, given the close competition, the race is far from decided.

Even though it’s understandable why these two are the frontrunners, considering how great other releases have been, confining the race between these two doesn’t feel fair. One voter summed it up well, adding:

Everyone’s acting like this year is a cage match between two movies. I keep begging people to watch what the crafts are doing. That’s where the cinema is. I know my colleagues don’t watch all of the movies. It’s sad. Quit if you’re not going to do this. Some really care.

On the bright side, both movies are deserving of the Best Picture accolade, and it remains to be seen who’ll have the last laugh.

Michael B. Jordan Emerges as the Favorite for Best Actor

Again, the Best Actor nominations, while stacked, did have some notable snubs this year, including Jesse Plemons for Bugonia and my favorite performance of 2025, Lee Byung-hun for No Other Choice. As for who leads the charge in this category, surprisingly, it’s not Timothée Chalamet, who delivered one of his most impressive works in Marty Supreme.

Michael B. Jordan has surged as the favorite in this category, followed by Leonardo DiCaprio for OBAA and Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon. Like Chalamet’s case, it appears Wagner Moura has also not garnered enough traction among Academy voters for his work in The Secret Agent.

Jessie Buckley Has the Edge in the Best Actress Race

Ever since awards season began, Jessie Buckley’s performance in Hamnet has been hailed as the best by a substantial portion of critics and fans. While some voters still appear split between Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue, Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, and Emma Stone for Bugonia, Buckley has emerged as the favorite in the category.

Moreover, with some voters reportedly catching up on Hamnet, The Secret Agent, and Sentimental Value later in the season, that late impression could further elevate Buckley’s chances of taking home the Oscar. And for anyone who has watched Hamnet, it’s safe to say she deserves it.

Who are Leading in the Best Supporting Actor/Actress Category?

The Best Supporting Actor department is another front where One Battle After Another and Sinners are racing for the finish line. Despite Delroy Lindo emerging as the early frontrunner, Sean Penn for One Battle After Another has tightened in on the race, closely followed by Stellan Skarsgård for Sentimental Value.

The Supporting Actress category, on the flip side, has proven to be a tough department for many voters. While Amy Madigan remains the favorite for Weapons, Sinners‘ Wunmi Mosaku has garnered a lot of traction from both Sinners supporters and some One Battle After Another voters, who reportedly backed her after putting OBAA at the top in other fronts.

Best Cinematography Oscar Race Closes in on Three Movies

In an ideal world, Kim Woo-hyung for No Other Choice should’ve been one of the frontrunners for this accolade. Now, coming back to the nominees, things appear to be a close call between Autumn Durald Arkapaw for Sinners, Adolfo Veloso’s Train Dreams, and Michael Bauman for One Battle After Another.

Interestingly, while Arkapaw, who has the opportunity to make history as the first woman to take the accolade home, and Veloso are clear favourites, Bauman’s work reportedly hasn’t garnered the same momentum. However, following the upsurge in OBAA‘s voting during the final hours of voting, Bauman remains a very possible contender.

Frankenstein Rises as Clear-Favorite on Three Fronts

While Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein might miss out on the Best Picture and Best Director categories following the craze surrounding Sinners and OBAA, things are looking promising for this movie on the technical front. Going by the early consensus, it’s the favorite to triumph for production design, costume design, makeup and hairstyling.

Editing, however, seems to be another three-way race between Coogler and Paul Thomas Anderson’s acclaimed classics, and this year’s dark horse, F1. Surprisingly, F1, which has been subject to scrutiny after landing a nomination for Best Picture amid notable snubs, is closing in on Best Sound, closely followed by Sinners.

With the envelopes still sealed, anything can happen when the winners are announced at the Oscars. But following the early buzz, it’s safe to presume both OBAA and Sinners will dominate the 98th Academy Awards.

What are your favorite picks for this year’s Oscar wins? Share your thoughts below!
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