Michael B. Jordan, Rose Byrne, Emma Stone among top contenders in 2026 Oscar acting races

The acting categories at the 98th Academy Awards are about as unsettled as they have been in recent memory. Going into Sunday's ceremony on March 15, there is no clear consensus frontrunner in either Best Actor or Best Actress, which is genuinely unusual this late in an awards season. Michael B. Jordan, Rose Byrne, Emma Stone, Renate Reinsve, and Kate Hudson are all in serious contention, and each has a credible path to winning based on the precursor awards that have scattered across multiple nominees rather than consolidating around one.

Jordan's nomination comes from his work in Sinners, the Ryan Coogler film that leads all nominees with 16 nominations. His performance in that film has been described by critics as the most complete work of his career to date, which is notable given his prior nominations and wins at other guild and critics organizations. The SAG Award, which is often a reliable predictor of Oscar outcomes in acting categories because SAG members vote for both, went to a different nominee this year, which is part of why the race feels genuinely open.

Best actress: Rose Byrne, Emma Stone, and Renate Reinsve in a three-way contest

Rose Byrne's nomination is for a dramatic role that represents a significant departure from the comedic work she is more widely known for, including her performances in Bridesmaids and the Neighbors franchise. Her film has received strong acting-focused reviews specifically, which matters in how Academy members across branches respond to a performance. Emma Stone, who won Best Actress at the 95th Academy Awards for Poor Things, is in contention again, and a second win within three years would be notable by historical standards. Only four actresses have won Best Actress more than once: Katharine Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, Olivia de Havilland, and Meryl Streep.

Renate Reinsve, the Norwegian actress who won the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021 for The Worst Person in the World, is receiving her first Oscar nomination for a film that has performed strongly with international critics associations. Kate Hudson's nomination is particularly discussed because it represents a return to awards contention for an actress who had a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002 for Almost Famous and has not been in the Oscar conversation since. Hudson's performance has been cited by multiple critics organizations as among the best of her career.

First-time nominees: Jacob Elordi, Wagner Moura, and Wunmi Mosaku

Jacob Elordi's first Oscar nomination comes after a period of sustained critical attention following his performances in Saltburn and Priscilla, neither of which produced nominations for him. His current nomination appears to reflect the Academy catching up to a consensus that has been building in the industry and among critics for two years. Wagner Moura, the Brazilian actor best known internationally for his portrayal of Pablo Escobar in Netflix's Narcos, is nominated for a role in a film that received significant festival attention. His nomination continues a pattern of the Academy expanding its recognition of non-English-language film performances in English-language films.

Wunmi Mosaku, the British-Nigerian actress who has built a reputation through television work including Lovecraft Country, receives her first acting nomination for a supporting performance. First-time nominees in supporting categories have won frequently in recent Oscar history. Ke Huy Quan won Best Supporting Actor on his first nomination at the 95th Academy Awards. Jamie Lee Curtis won Best Supporting Actress on her first nomination at the same ceremony. That pattern does not guarantee anything, but it means Mosaku's first nomination does not put her at a disadvantage.

The Bridesmaids reunion and the Marvel moment planned for the show

The producers of the 98th ceremony have confirmed a Bridesmaids cast reunion as a presenters segment during the telecast. The original film was released in 2011 and starred Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Rebel Wilson, and Ellie Kemper, among others. With Byrne nominated as a performer this year, her presence in a Bridesmaids reunion segment on the same night she might win Best Actress creates an unusual overlap. Reunion segments at the Oscars have drawn varying levels of audience response; the 95th ceremony's Indiana Jones tribute was warmly received, while some reunion segments from prior years have been criticized for extending the runtime without adding much.

The Marvel reunion featuring Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans is the other planned special moment that has generated pre-ceremony attention. Downey won Best Supporting Actor at the 96th Academy Awards for Oppenheimer and presented at last year's ceremony. Evans has not been at the Oscars in a presenting capacity recently. Their joint appearance is understood to be as presenters for a specific category rather than a tribute segment, though the Academy has not confirmed which category they will introduce. The 98th ceremony begins at 7 PM Eastern time on March 15.