Oscars 2026 Predictions: 3 Filmmakers Who Could Finally Win Their First Best Director Academy Award

Oscar 2026 Predictions ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

With just a few hours left before the 2026 Academy Awards winners are announced at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, anticipation among film fans and industry observers is at its peak. Leading this year’s nominations tally is Sinners with an impressive 16 nods, followed by One Battle After Another with 13. Marty Supreme, Frankenstein, and Sentimental Value have also emerged as strong contenders, each earning nine nominations.

While it remains to be seen which film ultimately takes home the coveted Best Picture trophy, the acting categories are shaping up to be equally competitive. In the Best Actor race, Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, and Michael B. Jordan are among the top fan-favorite contenders. Meanwhile, many cinephiles believe Jessie Buckley has a strong chance of winning Best Actress for her performance in Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet.

As always, the Best Director category is one of the most closely watched races of the night. Five acclaimed filmmakers are competing for the prestigious honor this year. Among them, only Chloe Zhao has previously won the Best Director Oscar, having taken home the award for the 2020 drama Nomadland. Of the remaining nominees, three directors appear to have a particularly strong chance at securing their first-ever Academy Award in the category. Let’s take a closer look at their films and their chances of winning the Oscar this year.

1. Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another

The acclaimed filmmaker has received a staggering 14 Academy Award nominations across various categories throughout his career. In the Best Director race, Paul Thomas Anderson has previously come close to winning the Oscar for There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread, and Licorice Pizza. This year, however, he may finally break through. With strong buzz surrounding the Leonardo DiCaprio-starrer action thriller One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson stands a great chance of securing his long-awaited first Academy Award win for Best Director. In our view, he has the best chance of winning this time.

2. Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme

After co-directing several acclaimed films, including Good Time and Uncut Gems, with his younger brother Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie made his solo directorial debut with the sports comedy-drama Marty Supreme. This also marks the first time the talented filmmaker has received an Academy Award nomination. Given the strong critical reception of the Timothée Chalamet-starrer, Josh Safdie has emerged as a serious contender and could even clinch the Best Director Oscar for his first solo feature. After Paul Thomas Anderson, we think he is the second-strongest Best Director contender this year.

3. Ryan Coogler – Sinners

After making his feature directorial debut with Fruitvale Station, Ryan Coogler went on to helm several acclaimed and commercially successful films, including the Rocky spin-off Creed, the MCU superhero movie Black Panther, its sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and his latest project, Sinners. In line with the latest industry buzz and fan chatter, Ryan Coogler currently appears to be the third-strongest contender in the Best Director race at the 2026 Academy Awards. It remains to be seen whether he will ultimately take home the coveted trophy.