Overview of Australians and Major Contenders at the 2026 Oscars

The 98th Academy Awards took place in Los Angeles, spotlighting major contenders and notable Australians up for Oscars. Australian actress Rose Byrne received her first best actress nomination for her role in ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’, having already won at four pre-Oscar events including the Golden Globes. Jacob Elordi is nominated for best supporting actor for Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’, competing against actors from ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘Sinners’. Australian-born musician Nick Cave is in the running for best original song for ‘Train Dreams’, which also features Joel Edgerton, while Fiona Crombie received a nod for best production design on ‘Hamnet’. Leading the nominations, the horror film ‘Sinners’ earned a record-breaking 16 nods, with ‘One Battle After Another’ close behind on 13. Both are contenders for best picture alongside films like ‘Bugonia’, ‘F1’, ‘Frankenstein’, and ‘Train Dreams’. The ceremony, hosted by Conan O’Brien, featured performances such as the KPop hit ‘Golden’ from ‘Demon Hunters’. New to this year’s Oscars was a category recognising achievement in casting, and the Academy implemented measures to ensure voters watched nominated films. Australians featured prominently across acting, music, and production categories, reflecting the global impact of Australian talent in cinema.