Overview
- Paul Thomas Anderson’s film leads into Sunday’s Dolby Theatre ceremony after sweeping major precursors including the Globes, BAFTA, DGA, PGA and Critics Choice.
- One Battle After Another secured 13 Oscar nominations across top categories, reinforcing its frontrunner status built on strong critical acclaim.
- Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is the chief challenger with a record 16 nominations and a SAG ensemble win that often aligns with Best Picture outcomes.
- Analysts note the Academy’s preferential voting could enable a split result, keeping an upset in play even with a clear favorite.
- Hours before the show, prediction markets such as Gold Derby project One Battle After Another as the likely Best Picture and Director winner, framing Sinners as competitive in other races.