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Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies,
curated by Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change in response to buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
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Best Director Predictions Commentary (Updated: Aug. 13, 2026): Two years after “Oppenheimer” finally put a directing Oscar in his hands, Christopher Nolan returns with “The Odyssey,” and the question isn’t whether he belongs in the conversation ($1 billion later, we know that), but whether the Academy hands him a second statue this quickly. Voters rarely rush to repeat, which is what keeps this a genuine race all year long.
Denis Villeneuve has become the field’s most overdue name, and “Dune: Part Three” could give the Academy the cleanest possible reason to correct a snub that has trailed him through the entire “Dune” saga. If the film delivers at the scale of its predecessors, the narrative is right there.
Behind the two front-runners, the category is stacked.
Martin McDonagh brings “Wild Horse Nine” and the goodwill of a filmmaker the Oscars keeps nominating without ever rewarding. Jesse Eisenberg makes the leap from actor to auteur with “The Debut,” the kind of third-feature jump that voters love to anoint. Cristian Mungiu’s “Fjord” carries the Palme d’Or prestige that travels well in this branch.
The list of predictions in all categories can be found here.
The Governors Awards, which will hand out honorary Oscars to Glenn Close and Ridley Scott, will take place Sunday, Nov. 15. Preliminary voting for the Oscars shortlist in 12 categories runs Dec. 7-11, with the shortlist announcement to follow Tuesday, Dec. 15. Following the close of the eligibility period on Dec. 31, 2026, nominations voting will run Jan. 11-15, 2027. The official Oscar nominations will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2027. The 99th Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 14, 2027, and will be hosted by Conan O’Brien. The ceremony airs live at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
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