The nominees for the 98th Academy Awards were announced on Thursday, with a quintet of stars in the running for Best Actor.
What actors are nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor? 2026 Academy Awards
Bookmakers’ favorite Timothée Chalamet leads the Best Actor nominees ahead of the 98th Academy Awards, which are to be held in Los Angeles in just under two months’ time.
Third time lucky for Chalamet?
Chalamet has been nominated for his starring role in Marty Supreme, a movie loosely based on the life of table-tennis player Marty Reisman.
This is the third Best Actor nod of Chalamet’s career: the 30-year-old was also nominated for A Complete Unknown in 2025, and for Call Me by Your Name in 2018.
Wagner earns historic Oscars nod
One Battle After Another star Leonardo DiCaprio is also among 2026’s Best Actor contenders - as is The Secret Agent’s Wagner Moura, who has made Oscars history.
Moura is the first ever Brazilian to earn a Best Actor nod at the Academy Awards. Earlier this month, the 49-year-old also became the first Brazilian to win Best Actor in a Drama at the Golden Globes.
DiCaprio is chasing his second Best Actor win at the Oscars, having scooped the statuette in 2016 for his performance in The Revenant.
This year’s five-man list of candidates is completed by Ethan Hawke and Michael B. Jordan, who are first-time Best Actor nominees for Blue Moon and Sinners, respectively.
Wagner Moura has made history as the first Brazilian to be nominated for best actor for his performance in “The Secret Agent." https://t.co/p0wmcwWW55 pic.twitter.com/uRxltUTl55
— Variety (@Variety) January 22, 2026
At a glance - 2026 Best Actor nominees and odds:
- Timothée Chalamet: Marty Supreme - 1/5
- Leonardo DiCaprio: One Battle After Another - 11/2
- Ethan Hawke: Blue Moon - 25/1
- Michael B. Jordan: Sinners - 16/1
- Wagner Moura: Secret Agent - 8/1
When are the 2026 Oscars?
The 2026 Oscars are to be held at L.A.’s Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. In the U.S., the gala is to air on ABC and Hulu. You can also stream ABC’s coverage on fubo, which offers new users a free trial.
For the second year in a row, the comedian Conan O’Brien is to host the Academy Awards.
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