The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists for the 98th Academy Awards, featuring pre-selected films in 12 key categories for the upcoming ceremony. This is a decisive step on the path to the official nominations, which will be announced on January 22, 2026, with the gala set for March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. One of the main focuses was the International Feature Film category, where 15 films from 86 countries remain in contention. Among them, the Argentine presence stands out with 'Belén', alongside productions from Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Tunisia, among others. The technical categories also showed strong competition, with high-profile titles such as 'Avatar: Fire and Ash', 'Frankenstein', 'F1', 'Wicked: For Good', 'Superman', and 'Tron: Ares' appearing in Cinematography, Sound, and Visual Effects. In the musical realm, the Academy selected 20 scores for Original Score and 15 songs for Original Song, with tracks from established franchises, biopics, and musicals, including 'Dream As One' from 'Avatar: Fire and Ash', 'Drive' from 'F1', 'The Girl In The Bubble', and 'Last Time (I Seen The Sun)' from 'Wicked: For Good'. With the preliminary voting closed, the race to the Oscars now enters its decisive phase, as voting for the official nominations will take place from January 12 to 16, 2026, narrowing these lists down to the final candidates.
