The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has officially announced the nominees for the 98th Academy Awards, with Netflix securing a prominent position.
Following a year of high-profile acquisitions and original productions, the streaming service has landed two films in the Best Picture category: Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and the Sundance acquisition Train Dreams.
While Ryan Coogler’s Sinners led the overall field with a record-breaking 16 nominations, Netflix’s presence across the technical and major categories reflects a sustained investment in prestige cinema. The nominations, revealed on January 22, 2026, place Netflix in direct competition with major studio releases from Warner Bros. and Focus Features.
Best Picture Contenders: Frankenstein and Train Dreams
Netflix has successfully secured two of the ten available slots for Best Picture. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein emerged as a major technical and narrative contender, following a campaign that gained significant momentum at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film represents a major creative undertaking for del Toro, who continues his long-standing collaboration with the platform.
Joining it in the top category is Train Dreams, a film Netflix acquired following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Clint Bentley and written by Greg Kwedar, the film has maintained critical favor throughout the awards season, leading to its inclusion in the Best Picture lineup alongside titles such as Hamnet, Marty Supreme, and One Battle After Another.
Acting and Directing Recognition
In the acting categories, Netflix saw a significant nod for Jacob Elordi, who received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Frankenstein. Elordi joins a competitive field that includes Benicio Del Toro and Stellan Skarsgård.
Notably, Guillermo del Toro received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for Frankenstein, and the writing team for Train Dreams, Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, also secured a spot in the same category. These nominations highlight the streamer’s focus on literary adaptations and narrative depth within its 2026 film slate.
Technical Mastery and Craft Categories
The craft categories provided some of the strongest showings for the Netflix slate.
Frankenstein received multiple nominations for its technical execution, including:
- Best Cinematography: Dan Laustsen
- Best Production Design: Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau
- Best Costume Design: Kate Hawley
- Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat
- Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Mike Hill, Cliona Furey, and Jordan Samuel
- Best Visual Effects
- Best Sound
Train Dreams also earned a nomination for Best Cinematography (Adolpho Veloso), while the film’s titular track was nominated for Best Original Song.
Read our interview with Veloso
Animation, Documentaries, and Shorts
Beyond live-action features, Netflix remains a competitor in the specialized categories. KPop Demon Hunters secured a nomination for Best Animated Feature, while the song “Golden” from the same film is up for Best Original Song.
In the documentary categories, The Perfect Neighbor was recognized for Best Documentary Feature, and All the Empty Rooms for Socumentary Short Film.
The short film categories also featured Netflix’s The Singers, which landed a nomination for Best Live Action Short.
All the 2026 Netflix’s Oscar Nominees
BEST PICTURE
- Frankenstein
- Train Dreams
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
- KPop Demon Hunters
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
- The Perfect Neighbor
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
- All The Empty Rooms
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
- The Singers
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
- Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
- Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro
- Train Dreams, Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar
CINEMATOGRAPHY
- Frankenstein, Dan Laustsen
- Train Dreams, Adolpho Veloso
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
- “Golden,” KPop Demon Hunters
- “Train Dreams,” Train Dreams
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
- Frankenstein, Alexandre Desplat
COSTUME DESIGN
- Frankenstein
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
- Frankenstein
PRODUCTION DESIGN
- Frankenstein
SOUND
- Frankenstein
Key Details
- Frankenstein (Netflix): Best Picture nominee, directed by Guillermo del Toro, starring Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac.
- Train Dreams (Netflix): Best Picture nominee, directed by Clint Bentley, based on the novella by Denis Johnson.
- KPop Demon Hunters: Nominated for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (“Golden”).
- 98th Academy Awards Date: The ceremony is scheduled for March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre.
- Netflix Documentary Nominees: The Perfect Neighbor.
