98th Academy Awards Set for Historic Showdown Between The Sinners and Battle After Battle

The 98th Academy Awards take place this Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, defined by a historic battle between two films: Ryan Coogler’s The Sinners and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Battle After Battle. With 16 and 13 nominations respectively, these two movies are the clear frontrunners.

While The Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan, set a record for the number of nominations, Anderson’s Battle After Battle, led by Leonardo DiCaprio, enters the night with more momentum after winning at the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards. Industry trends suggest that this winning streak often carries over to the Oscars, making Anderson’s film the favorite to take home the top prizes.

In the acting categories, Timothée Chalamet is the frontrunner for Best Actor for his role in Marty Supreme. Although he recently sparked controversy with comments about traditional performing arts, Academy voting closed before the backlash began, likely protecting his lead. Still, critics haven't ruled out Michael B. Jordan, who remains a strong contender after his success at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. For Best Actress, Jessie Buckley (Hamnet) is the current favorite. The supporting categories are much harder to predict, with Amy Madigan (Weapons) leading the betting, though Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn, Jacob Elordi, and Stellan Skarsgard all remain in the mix.

Spain is represented by Óliver Laxe’s Sirat, starring Sergi López and Bruno Núñez. The film is competing for two awards: Best International Feature Film, where it faces Norway’s Sentimental Value and Brazil’s The Secret Agent, and Best Sound. The sound nomination is particularly historic, as Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas, and Yasmina Praderas are the first all-female team to be nominated in this category. They are up against major technical productions like F1: The Movie and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.

Del Toro’s Frankenstein is expected to dominate the technical categories, such as makeup and costume design. Meanwhile, the screenplay awards are likely to be split between the night’s two titans, The Sinners and Battle After Battle. With Sentimental Value, Marty Supreme, and Frankenstein also holding nine nominations each, this year’s ceremony promises to be a tight race between statistical favorites and the unpredictable preferences of Academy voters.