Sep 20, 2025 – Oscars race broadens with 12 frontrunners, including Hamnet (potential Best Picture), One Battle After Another (targeting Best Picture), and Sinners (box‑office‑friendly entry), setting early buzz for the 2026 awards season [5].

Dec 8, 2025 – Golden Globes nominations lead with One Battle After Another earning nine nods across film categories, while Sinners and Sentimental Value follow with eight and seven respectively, highlighting early dominance before the Jan 11 ceremony [21].

Jan 5, 2026 – Critics Choice Awards announce One Battle After Another as Best Picture and Best Director, Timothée Chalamet as Best Actor for Marty Supreme, and Sinners wins Original Screenplay and Casting, establishing momentum for Oscar contenders [20].

Jan 7, 2026 – SAG Actor Awards nominations reveal One Battle After Another leads with a record seven nods—including Best Ensemble and individual acting slots—marking the most nominations any film has received in the guild’s 31‑year history and signaling strong Oscar prospects [18].

Jan 7, 2026 – Actor Awards (SAG) nominations list One Battle After Another with seven acting nods, Sinners with multiple acting nominations, and surprise Lead Actress nominee Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue, underscoring an unpredictable awards field [13].

Jan 8, 2026 – Directors Guild of America announces feature‑film directing nominees—Paul Thomas Anderson, Ryan Coogler, Guillermo del Toro, Chloé Zhao, and Josh Safdie—mirroring the SAG ensemble slate and reinforcing these five films as the season’s core contenders [19].

Jan 8, 2026 – SAG Actor Awards also name Harrison Ford as the Life Achievement recipient, and Ford says the honor “means a great deal to me,” adding a high‑profile tribute to the upcoming March 1 ceremony [11].

Jan 22, 2026 – The Academy releases nominations, with Sinners breaking the single‑film record at 16 nods—surpassing the previous 14‑nomination high held by All About Eve, Titanic and La La Land—while One Battle After Another follows with 13 nominations, reshaping the awards race [3][15][25].

Jan 22, 2026 – Ryan Coogler receives his first Best Director and Best Screenplay nominations for Sinners, and Michael B. Jordan earns his inaugural Best Actor nod, marking a historic breakthrough for Black talent at the Oscars [16][15].

Jan 22, 2026 – Delroy Lindo learns of his first Oscar nomination via a flood of 179 texts, describing the moment as “overwhelming,” highlighting the personal impact of the record‑breaking slate [16].

Jan 22, 2026 – Rose Byrne discovers her Best Actress nomination in the middle of the night while in Australia and notes a five‑week rehearsal process that refined her performance, illustrating the global reach of the awards season [16].

Jan 22, 2026 – Leonardo DiCaprio emphasizes that “the communal theatre experience is central to cinema,” reflecting the artistic values celebrated by the nominations [16].

Jan 22, 2026 – Ruth E. Carter becomes the most‑nominated Black woman in Oscar history, crediting her work on Sinners and past films as a cultural contribution, underscoring growing recognition of Black creatives [16].

Jan 22, 2026 – The Academy adds a new Best Casting category, boosting nomination totals for Sinners and One Battle After Another and marking the first year the craft receives Oscar recognition [15][25].

Jan 22, 2026 – Warner Bros. Discovery secures 33 nominations, and CEO David Zaslav calls the tally “a golden moment” amid ongoing negotiations for a Netflix acquisition, indicating studio stakes in the awards outcome [15].

Jan 22, 2026 – The 98th Academy Awards are set for March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre, to be broadcast on ABC and Hulu with Conan O’Brien hosting, while YouTube’s exclusive streaming deal will not commence until 2029 [23][25].

Jan 22, 2026 – Cinemark and Regal announce Oscar Movie Week (Mar 9‑15) and a Best Picture showcase (Mar 6‑15), offering festival passes and discounted popcorn, creating a theatrical countdown to the ceremony [22][24].

Jan 27, 2026 – BAFTA unveils its 2026 nominations, with One Battle After Another leading the list and the ceremony scheduled for Feb 22 at London’s Royal Festival Hall, aligning the UK awards calendar with the Oscars [1].

Feb 7, 2026 – The DGA awards ceremony is slated for Feb 7, 2026, with winners historically predicting Oscar success, adding another bellwether to the awards‑season timeline [19].

Feb 18, 2026 – Horror dominates the Oscar field as Sinners leads with 16 nominations, and the genre’s 2025 box office surpasses $1.3 billion, reflecting audience appetite and the Academy’s shifting preferences after the #OscarsSoWhite diversification effort that added thousands of new members since 2015 [8][7].

Feb 18, 2026 – Historical horror recognition remains limited—only four nominations for Psycho (1960), ten for The Exorcist (1973), and a single “Big Five” sweep by The Silence of the Lambs (1991)—underscoring Sinners’ breakthrough in a traditionally under‑awarded genre [8].

Feb 18, 2026 – The new Achievement in Casting category and the potential first female win for Best Cinematography (Autumn Durald Arkapaw for Sinners) illustrate the Academy’s expanding recognition of behind‑the‑scenes talent [7].

Feb 18, 2026 – Netflix’s K‑Pop Demon Hunters is expected to win a musical category, while Ludwig Göransson’s blues‑infused score for Sinners receives praise, highlighting the growing influence of streaming‑originated music in Oscar considerations [7].

Feb 18, 2026 – Despite broader diversity gains, the Best Actress field remains all‑white, revealing persistent representation gaps even as the voting body becomes younger and more international [8].

Mar 1, 2026 – The SAG Actor Awards ceremony will stream on Netflix, present Harrison Ford’s Life Achievement Award, and serve as a strong Oscar indicator due to the actors’ branch’s voting weight [18][11].

Mar 15, 2026 – The Oscars ceremony will culminate the awards season, featuring Sinners and One Battle After Another as top contenders for Best Picture, with the new casting award and potential historic wins in cinematography and casting on the line [23][25].