The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards have created a lot of discussion, especially in the Best Picture category.

While some surprise films like F1 were nominated, most attention is on the close competition between One Battle After Another and Sinners.

According to Collider’s analysis,One Battle After Another is currently the favorite to win Best Picture.

One Battle After Another tells a powerful story about revolution and its consequences.

The film has a strong cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor.

It is directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, who is well known for making films that receive Oscar nominations.

One major reason the film is seen as the frontrunner is its success at other award shows.

The film has already won Best Picture at the Critics’ Choice Awards and Best Picture – Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globe Awards.

These wins show that the film is popular with both critics and general audiences. Its success across different award ceremonies has increased its chances of winning the Oscar.

Another important event is the BAFTA Awards on February 22.

One Battle After Another received 14 BAFTA nominations, while Sinners received 13. If One Battle After Another wins Best Film at BAFTA, it will likely strengthen its chances of winning the Oscar.

However, Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, is still a strong competitor. It has also received many nominations and continues to gain attention.

Upcoming awards, especially the Producers Guild Awards (PGA), could play a major role. In recent years, films that won Best Picture at the PGA, such as Oppenheimer and Everything Everywhere All at Once, also won the Oscar.

If One Battle After Another wins the PGA award, its Oscar win would become very likely. But if Sinners wins, it could change the outcome.

One Battle After Another is an R-rated action crime thriller released on September 26, 2025.

It runs for 162 minutes and was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, who also co-wrote the script. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson and Sean Penn as Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw.

Both One Battle After Another and Sinners are available to stream on HBO Max.

The 98th Academy Awards will take place on March 15, 2026, and will be broadcast live on ABC and streamed on Hulu.