Oscar Predictions - Daniel Howat - Next Best Picture

Monday, July 6, 2026

Daniel Howat

Journalist and Awards Prognosticator for Next Best Picture.

@howatdk_

Best Picture

Jun 29

1	1	Digger Warner Bros. \| Alejandro G. Iñárritu
2 Saturn Return	Saturn Return 2	Saturn Return Netflix \| Greg Kwedar
3	3	The Entertainment System Is Down A24 \| Ruben Östlund
4	4	Fjord Neon \| Cristian Mungiu
5	5	Project Hail Mary Amazon MGM \| Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
6	6	The Odyssey Universal \| Christopher Nolan
7	7	La Bola Negra Netflix \| Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo
8	8	Dune: Part Three Warner Bros. \| Denis Villeneuve
9	9	Wild Horse Nine Searchlight \| Martin McDonagh
10	10	The Debut A24 \| Jesse Eisenberg

Best Director

Jun 29

1	1	Alejandro G. Iñárritu Digger
2	2	Greg Kwedar Saturn Return
3	3	Martin McDonagh Wild Horse Nine
4	4	Christopher Nolan The Odyssey
5	5	Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo La Bola Negra

Best Actress

Jun 29

1	1	Renate Reinsve Fjord
2	2	Rachel Brosnahan Saturn Return
3	3	Julianne Moore The Debut
4	4	Ruth Madeley Being Heumann
5	5	Virginie Efira All of a Sudden

Best Actor

Jun 29

1	1	Tom Cruise Digger
2	2	Sebastian Stan Fjord
3	3	Sam Rockwell Wild Horse Nine
4	4	Matt Damon The Odyssey
5	5	Robert Aramayo I Swear

Best Supporting Actress

Jun 29

1	1	Sandra Hüller Digger
2	2	Penélope Cruz La Bola Negra
3	3	Anne Hathaway The Odyssey
4	4	Mariana di Girolamo Wild Horse Nine
5	5	Tao Okamoto All of a Sudden

Best Supporting Actor

Jun 29

1	1	Paul Giamatti The Debut
2	2	John Goodman Digger
3	3	John Malkovich Wild Horse Nine
4	4	Jeremy Strong The Social Reckoning
5	5	Mark Ruffalo Being Heumann

Best Adapted Screenplay

Jun 29

1	1	La Bola Negra Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo \| Netflix
2	2	All of a Sudden Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Léa Le Dimna \| Neon
3	3	Project Hail Mary Drew Goddard \| Amazon MGM
4	4	The Invite Rashida Jones, Will McCormack \| A24
5	5	The Odyssey Christopher Nolan \| Universal

Best Original Screenplay

Jun 29

1	1	Wild Horse Nine Martin McDonagh \| Searchlight
2 Saturn Return	Saturn Return 2	Saturn Return Gaelyn Golde, Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley \| Netflix
3	3	Digger Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, Sabina Berman \| Warner Bros.
4	4	Fjord Cristian Mungiu \| Neon
5	5	The Debut Jesse Eisenberg \| A24

Best Casting

Jun 29

1	1	La Bola Negra Eva Leira, Yolanda Serrano \| Netflix
2	2	Obsession Skyler Zurn \| Focus Features
3	3	Digger Francine Maisler \| Warner Bros.
4	4	The Debut Douglas Aibel \| A24
5	5	The Odyssey John Papsidera \| Universal

Best Animated Feature

Jun 29

1	1	Ray Gunn Netflix \| Brad Bird
2	2	Wildwood Fathom \| Travis Knight
3	3	In Waves Netflix \| Phuong Mai Nguyen
4	4	Forgotten Island Universal \| Januel Mercado, Joel Crawford
5	5	Toy Story 5 Disney \| Andrew Stanton

Best Documentary Feature

Jun 29

1	1	Once Upon a Time in Harlem Neon \| William Greaves, David Greaves
2	2	American Doctor
3	3	Nuisance Bear
4	4	One in a Million PBS \| Itab Azzam, Jack Macinnes
5	5	When a Witness Recants

Best International Feature Film

Jun 29

1	1	La Bola Negra
2	2	Fjord
3	3	All of a Sudden
4	4	Coward
5	5	Fatherland

Best Cinematography

Jun 29

1	1	Digger Emmanuel Lubezki \| Warner Bros.
2	2	The Odyssey Hoyte van Hoytema \| Universal
3	3	Project Hail Mary Greig Fraser \| Amazon MGM
4	4	Dune: Part Three Linus Sandgren \| Warner Bros.
5	5	La Bola Negra Gris Jordana \| Netflix

Best Costume Design

Jun 29

1	1	The Odyssey Universal
2	2	Sense and Sensibility Focus Features
3	3	Werwulf Focus Features
4	4	Dune: Part Three Warner Bros.
5	5	La Bola Negra Ana López Cobos \| Netflix

Best Film Editing

Jun 29

1	1	The Odyssey Jennifer Lame \| Universal
2	2	Wild Horse Nine Mikkel E.G. Nielsen \| Searchlight
3	3	La Bola Negra Alberto Gutiérrez \| Netflix
4	4	Digger Conor O'Neill, Stephen Mirrione \| Warner Bros.
5	5	Project Hail Mary Joel Negron \| Amazon MGM

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Jun 29

1	1	Digger Warner Bros.
2	2	Werwulf Focus Features
3	3	Clayface Warner Bros.
4	4	The Odyssey Universal
5	5	Dune: Part Three Warner Bros.

Best Production Design

Jun 29

1	1	Digger Anna Pinnock, Dennis Gassner, Richard L. Johnson \| Warner Bros.
2	2	Werwulf Craig Lathrop, Anna Pinnock \| Focus Features
3	3	Dune: Part Three Patrice Vermette, Shane Vieau \| Warner Bros.
4	4	The Odyssey Ruth De Jong, Larry Dias, Gene Serdena \| Universal
5	5	Project Hail Mary Charles Wood, John Bush \| Amazon MGM

Best Original Score

Jun 29

1	1	The Odyssey Ludwig Göransson \| Universal
2	2	Project Hail Mary Daniel Pemberton \| Amazon MGM
3	3	La Bola Negra Raül Refree \| Netflix
4	4	Wild Horse Nine Carter Burwell \| Searchlight
5	5	Disclosure Day John Williams \| Universal

Best Original Song

Jun 29

1	1	La Playa La Bola Negra
2	2	I Knew It, I Knew You Toy Story 5
3	3	Diane Warren Untitled
4	4	TBD The Debut
5	5	How to Write a Song (Without You) Power Ballad

Best Sound

Jun 29

1	1	Dune: Part Three Warner Bros.
2	2	The Odyssey Universal
3	3	Project Hail Mary Amazon MGM
4	4	La Bola Negra Netflix
5	5	Digger Warner Bros.

Best Visual Effects

Jun 29

1	1	Project Hail Mary Amazon MGM
2	2	Dune: Part Three Warner Bros.
3	3	The Odyssey Universal
4	4	Godzilla Minus Zero GKIDS
5	5	Whalefall 20th Century