The first major awards body announces their nominations this Friday to kick off the 2025/26 awards season, as the Critics Choice Awards will be releasing their nominees. While not completely transferable to the Oscars as these are voted by critics rather than film industry professionals, it will give a good indication of which films and performances we are likely to see pop up throughout the season. Here are our predictions:
BEST PICTURE
Frankenstein
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams
Wicked: For Good
BEST DIRECTOR
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Chloe Zhao- Hamnet
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
BEST ACTOR
Timothee Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Joel Edgerton- Train Dreams
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia
BEST ACTRESS
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked: For Good
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee
Emma Stone – Bugonia
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly
Stellan Skarsgard – Sentimental Value
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
It Was Just An Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sorry, Baby
Weapons
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Bugonia
Hamnet
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
BEST ENSEMBLE
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sentimental Value
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Miles Caton – Sinners
Cary Christopher – Weapons
Aidan Delbis – Bugonia
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet
Alfie Williams – 28 Years Later
BEST COMEDY
Bugonia
Marty Supreme
The Naked Gun
One Battle After Another
Rental Family
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
It Was Just An Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirat
The Voice of the Hind Rajab
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Arco
Elio
In Your Dreams
KPop Demon Hunters
Zootopia 2
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams
BEST EDITING
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Sinners
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
The Testament of Ann Lee
Wicked: For Good
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Hedda
Sinners
The Testament of Ann Lee
Wicked: For Good
BEST HAIR & MAKEUP
28 Years Later
Frankenstein
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
Wicked: For Good
Weapons
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire & Ash
F1
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning
Superman
Wicked: For Good
BEST STUNT DESIGN
F1
Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Superman
Wicked: For Good
BEST SOUND
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams
BEST SONG
KPop Demon Hunters, “Golden”
Sinners, “I Lied to You”
Sinners, “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)”
The Testament of Ann Lee, “Clothed By The Sun”
Wicked: For Good, “Girl in the Bubble”
Wicked: For Good, “No Place Like Home”
Critics Choice announces their nominations on Friday, December 5th, 2025.
Joseph Trusson is a BA Graduate in Film and Television Studies from the University of Nottingham and an MA Graduate in Film Distribution and Marketing from Birmingham City University. He specialises in film awards analysis and hosts the Best Picture Must Be Doing Something Right Podcast, and is covering the 2025/26 Awards Season for Celestial Cinephile. You can find him on Letterboxd @JosephT.
