{"id":274872,"date":"2025-12-17T06:48:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T19:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.russh.com\/?p=274872"},"modified":"2025-12-17T06:48:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T19:48:19","slug":"oscars-shortlist-2025-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.russh.com\/oscars-shortlist-2025-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2026 Oscars shortlist is officially here"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s no secret that awards season<\/a> is a marathon, not a sprint, and for many, the finish line is the Academy Awards. Admittedly, we’re still a while off from the winners being announced, but the race for Oscars recognition<\/a> is already heating up.<\/p>\n

This morning, the Academy unveiled its official Oscars shortlist in 11 of 24 categories, giving us our first real indication of which films are gaining momentum ahead of nomination day. While nothing is guaranteed at this stage, the shortlist is the first step in forecasting which titles \u2014 and talents \u2014 are most likely to hear their names called when the final nominations are announced. So, which projects are likely to walk home successful? Below, read the full Oscars nominations shortlist.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is the Oscars shortlist?<\/h2>\n

Ahead of the official nominations, the Academy conducts a preliminary voting round to determine its annual shortlist. This process narrows the field in select categories, spotlighting the films that have impressed voters early on in the awards cycle.<\/p>\n

The shortlist applies to a specific set of categories: animated short film, documentary feature, documentary short, international feature, live action short, makeup and hairstyling, original score, original song, sound, and visual effects. To be eligible for a final nomination in these areas, a film must first pass through this stage.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When are the official nominations announced?<\/h2>\n

Expect these on January 22 (or 23, for those of us in Australia), followed by the actual Academy Awards ceremony on March 15.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Best casting shortlist<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Frankenstein<\/li>\n
  • Hamnet<\/li>\n
  • Marty Supreme<\/li>\n
  • One Battle after Another<\/li>\n
  • The Secret Agent<\/li>\n
  • Sentimental Value<\/li>\n
  • Sinners<\/li>\n
  • Sir\u00e2t<\/li>\n
  • Weapons<\/li>\n
  • Wicked: For Good<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Best cinematography shortlist<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • Ballad of a Small Player<\/li>\n
    • Bugonia<\/li>\n
    • Die My Love<\/li>\n
    • F1<\/li>\n
    • Frankenstein<\/li>\n
    • Hamnet<\/li>\n
    • Marty Supreme<\/li>\n
    • Nouvelle Vague<\/li>\n
    • One Battle after Another<\/li>\n
    • Sentimental Value<\/li>\n
    • Sinners<\/li>\n
    • Sir\u00e2t<\/li>\n
    • Song Sung Blue<\/li>\n
    • Sound of Falling<\/li>\n
    • Train Dreams<\/li>\n
    • Wicked: For Good<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Best makeup and hairstyling shortlist<\/h3>\n
        \n
      • The Alto Knights<\/li>\n
      • Frankenstein<\/li>\n
      • Kokuho<\/li>\n
      • Marty Supreme<\/li>\n
      • Nuremberg<\/li>\n
      • One Battle after Another<\/li>\n
      • Sinners<\/li>\n
      • The Smashing Machine<\/li>\n
      • The Ugly Stepsister<\/li>\n
      • Wicked: For Good<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Best score shortlist<\/h3>\n
          \n
        • Avatar: Fire and Ash<\/li>\n
        • Bugonia<\/li>\n
        • Captain America: Brave New World<\/li>\n
        • Diane Warren: Relentless<\/li>\n
        • F1<\/li>\n
        • Frankenstein<\/li>\n
        • Hamnet<\/li>\n
        • Hedda<\/li>\n
        • A House of Dynamite<\/li>\n
        • Jay Kelly<\/li>\n
        • Marty Supreme<\/li>\n
        • Nuremberg<\/li>\n
        • One Battle after Another<\/li>\n
        • Sinners<\/li>\n
        • Sir\u00e2t<\/li>\n
        • Train Dreams<\/li>\n
        • Tron: Ares<\/li>\n
        • Truth and Treason<\/li>\n
        • Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery<\/li>\n
        • Wicked: For Good<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

           <\/p>\n

          Best original song shortlist<\/h3>\n
            \n
          • \u201cAs Alive As You Need Me To Be\u201d from Tron: Ares<\/li>\n
          • \u201cDear Me\u201d from Diane Warren: Relentless<\/li>\n
          • \u201cDream As One\u201d from Avatar: Fire and Ash<\/li>\n
          • \u201cDrive\u201d from F1<\/li>\n
          • \u201cDying To Live\u201d from Billy Idol Should Be Dead<\/li>\n
          • \u201cThe Girl In The Bubble\u201d from Wicked: For Good<\/li>\n
          • \u201cGolden\u201d from KPop Demon Hunters<\/li>\n
          • \u201cHighest 2 Lowest\u201d from Highest 2 Lowest<\/li>\n
          • \u201cI Lied To You\u201d from Sinners<\/li>\n
          • \u201cLast Time (I Seen The Sun)\u201d from Sinners<\/li>\n
          • \u201cNo Place Like Home\u201d from Wicked: For Good<\/li>\n
          • \u201cOur Love\u201d from The Ballad of Wallis Island<\/li>\n
          • \u201cSalt Then Sour Then Sweet\u201d from Come See Me in the Good Light<\/li>\n
          • \u201cSweet Dreams Of Joy\u201d from Viva Verdi!<\/li>\n
          • \u201cTrain Dreams\u201d from Train Dreams<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

             <\/p>\n

            Best sound shortlist<\/h3>\n
              \n
            • Avatar: Fire and Ash<\/li>\n
            • F1<\/li>\n
            • Frankenstein<\/li>\n
            • Mission: Impossible \u2013 The Final Reckoning<\/li>\n
            • One Battle after Another<\/li>\n
            • Sinners<\/li>\n
            • Sir\u00e2t<\/li>\n
            • Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere<\/li>\n
            • Superman<\/li>\n
            • Wicked: For Good<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

               <\/p>\n

              Best visual effects shortlist<\/h3>\n
                \n
              • Avatar: Fire and Ash<\/li>\n
              • The Electric State<\/li>\n
              • F1<\/li>\n
              • Frankenstein<\/li>\n
              • Jurassic World Rebirth<\/li>\n
              • The Lost Bus<\/li>\n
              • Sinners<\/li>\n
              • Superman<\/li>\n
              • Tron: Ares<\/li>\n
              • Wicked: For Good<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                Best documentary feature shortlist<\/h3>\n
                  \n
                • The Alabama Solution<\/li>\n
                • Apocalypse in the Tropics<\/li>\n
                • Coexistence, My Ass!<\/li>\n
                • Come See Me in the Good Light<\/li>\n
                • Cover-Up<\/li>\n
                • Cutting through Rocks<\/li>\n
                • Folktales<\/li>\n
                • Holding Liat<\/li>\n
                • Mr. Nobody against Putin<\/li>\n
                • Mistress Dispeller<\/li>\n
                • My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 \u2013 Last Air in Moscow<\/li>\n
                • The Perfect Neighbor<\/li>\n
                • Seeds<\/li>\n
                • 2000 Meters to Andriivka<\/li>\n
                • Yanuni<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                   <\/p>\n

                  Best international feature shortlist<\/h3>\n
                    \n
                  • Argentina, \u201cBel\u00e9n\u201d<\/li>\n
                  • Brazil, \u201cThe Secret Agent\u201d<\/li>\n
                  • France, \u201cIt Was Just an Accident\u201d<\/li>\n
                  • Germany, \u201cSound of Falling\u201d<\/li>\n
                  • India, \u201cHomebound\u201d<\/li>\n
                  • Iraq, \u201cThe President\u2019s Cake\u201d<\/li>\n
                  • Japan, \u201cKokuho\u201d<\/li>\n
                  • Jordan, \u201cAll That\u2019s Left of You\u201d<\/li>\n
                  • Norway, \u201cSentimental Value\u201d<\/li>\n
                  • Palestine, \u201cPalestine 36\u201d<\/li>\n
                  • South Korea, \u201cNo Other Choice\u201d<\/li>\n
                  • Spain, \u201cSir\u00e2t\u201d<\/li>\n
                  • Switzerland, \u201cLate Shift\u201d<\/li>\n
                  • Taiwan, \u201cLeft-Handed Girl\u201d<\/li>\n
                  • Tunisia, \u201cThe Voice of Hind Rajab\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    Best animated short shortlist<\/h3>\n
                      \n
                    • Autokar\u201d<\/li>\n
                    • \u201cButterfly\u201d<\/li>\n
                    • \u201cCardboard\u201d<\/li>\n
                    • \u201c\u00c9iru\u201d<\/li>\n
                    • \u201cForevergreen\u201d<\/li>\n
                    • \u201cThe Girl Who Cried Pearls\u201d<\/li>\n
                    • \u201cHurik\u00e1n\u201d<\/li>\n
                    • \u201cI Died in Irpin\u201d<\/li>\n
                    • \u201cThe Night Boots\u201d<\/li>\n
                    • \u201cPlaying God\u201d<\/li>\n
                    • \u201cThe Quinta’s Ghost\u201d<\/li>\n
                    • \u201cRetirement Plan\u201d<\/li>\n
                    • \u201cThe Shyness of Trees\u201d<\/li>\n
                    • \u201cSnow Bear\u201d<\/li>\n
                    • \u201cThe Three Sisters\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                       <\/p>\n

                      Best documentary short shortlist<\/h3>\n
                        \n
                      • All the Empty Rooms\u201d<\/li>\n
                      • \u201cAll the Walls Came Down\u201d<\/li>\n
                      • \u201cArmed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud\u201d<\/li>\n
                      • \u201cBad Hostage\u201d<\/li>\n
                      • \u201cCashing Out\u201d<\/li>\n
                      • \u201cChasing Time\u201d<\/li>\n
                      • \u201cChildren No More: \u201cWere and Are Gone\u201d\u201d<\/li>\n
                      • \u201cClassroom 4\u201d<\/li>\n
                      • \u201cThe Devil Is Busy\u201d<\/li>\n
                      • \u201cHeartbeat\u201d<\/li>\n
                      • \u201cLast Days on Lake Trinity\u201d<\/li>\n
                      • \u201cOn Healing Land, Birds Perch\u201d<\/li>\n
                      • \u201cPerfectly a Strangeness\u201d<\/li>\n
                      • \u201cRovina\u2019s Choice\u201d<\/li>\n
                      • \u201cWe Were the Scenery\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                         <\/p>\n

                        Best live-action short shortlist<\/h3>\n
                          \n
                        • \u201cAdo\u201d<\/li>\n
                        • \u201cAmarela\u201d<\/li>\n
                        • \u201cBeyond Silence\u201d<\/li>\n
                        • \u201cThe Boy with White Skin\u201d<\/li>\n
                        • \u201cButcher\u2019s Stain\u201d<\/li>\n
                        • \u201cButterfly on a Wheel\u201d<\/li>\n
                        • \u201cDad\u2019s Not Home\u201d<\/li>\n
                        • \u201cExtremist\u201d<\/li>\n
                        • \u201cA Friend of Dorothy\u201d<\/li>\n
                        • \u201cJane Austen\u2019s Period Drama\u201d<\/li>\n
                        • \u201cPantyhose\u201d<\/li>\n
                        • \u201cThe Pearl Comb\u201d<\/li>\n
                        • \u201cRock, Paper, Scissors\u201d<\/li>\n
                        • \u201cThe Singers\u201d<\/li>\n
                        • \u201cTwo People Exchanging Saliva\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                           <\/p>\n\n