The 2026 Academy Award Movie Challenge
Official Rules

• ANY movie that has been NOMINATED or WON an Academy Award counts
• There is NO time limit, meaning it doesn't matter how long or short the item in question is, as long as it has been nominated or won an Academy Award
• You can watch a movie once then count it again if you watch the same film with a commentary
• There WILL BE a separate thread for LISTS ONLY created shortly before the challenge begins.
• You can count the actual Academy Awards Ceremony to be televised on Sunday March 15, 2026 as an entry if you'd like.
• There will be an "In Memoriam" Wild Card option. You can select up to 10 films to watch featuring a celebrity that died since the last Oscar Ceremony. But only ONE movie per celebrity. For example: You can watch Da 5 Bloods” to Isiah Whitlock Jr. but you cannot watch another Whitlock movie that did not win or was not nominated for an Oscar unless it stars another eligible celebrity. If that makes sense... The celebrity has to have died since the last ceremony.
• The challenge begins at dawn local time Thursday, January 22 at and will end at 11:59 pm on Sunday, March 15.

LISTS THREAD

Past Challenges
2025 Rules & Discussion Thread
2025 List Thread
2024 Rules & Discussion Thread
2024 List Thread
2023 Rules & Discussion Thread
2022 Rules & Discussion Thread
2022 List Thread
2021 Rules & Discussion Thread
2021 List Thread
2020 Rules & Discussion Thread
2020 List Thread
2019 Rules & Discussion Tread
2019 List Thread
2018 Rules & Discussion Thread
2018 List Thread
2017 Rules & Discussion Thread
2017 List Thread
2016 Rules & Discussion Thread
2016 List Thread
2015 Rules & Discussion Thread
2015 List Thread
2014 Rules & Discussion Thread
2014 List Thread
2013 Rules & Discussion Thread
2013 List Thread
2012 Rules & Discussion Thread
2012 List Thread
2011 Rules & Discussion Thread
2011 List Thread
2010 Rules & Discussion Thread
2010 List Thread
2009 Rules & Discussion Thread
2009 List Thread
2008 Rules & Discussion Thread
2008 List Thread
2007 Rules & Discussion Thread
2007 List Thread

External Links
This Year's Nominees
TCM's 31 Days of Oscar Schedule - begins 2/13
Academy Award Database - to check if a movie has been nominated or won (link still won't work on iPad)
In Memoriam


Checklist
Watch a film winner from the following decades:

• 1927-1939:
• 1940-1949:
• 1950-1959:
• 1960-1969:
• 1970-1979:
• 1980-1989:
• 1990-1999:
• 2000-2009:
• 2010-2019:
• (optional) 2020-

Watch a winner from the following categories:

• Actor in a Leading Role
• Actor in a Supporting Role
• Actress in a Leading Role
• Actress in a Supporting Role
• Animated Feature Film
• Cinematography
• Costume Design
• Directing
• Documentary (Feature)
• Documentary (Short Subject)
• Film Editing
• International Feature Film
• Makeup and Hairstyling
• Music (Original Score)
• Music (Original Song)
• Best Picture
• Production Design
• Short Film (Animated)
• Short Film (Live Action)
• Sound
• Visual Effects
• Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
• Writing (Original Screenplay)

I'll post the list thread this weekend. Anything folks want to change about the Challenge?

The list thread is available.

Any thoughts on what will get nominated on Thursday?

How To See The 2026 Oscar Nominees At Home Before The Big Night: (31/35)


Feature Films:

The Alabama Solution (HBO Max)

Arco (Digital Rental / Purchase)

Blue Moon (Blu / Digital Rental / Purchase / Netflix)

Bugonia (DVD/Blu/4K / Digital Rental / Purchase / Peacock)

Come See Me In The Good Light (Apple TV)

Diane Warren: Relentless (Digital Rental / Purchase / Hoopla / Kanopy)

Elio (DVD/Blu/4K / Digital Rental / Purchase / Disney+)

F1: The Movie (DVD/Blu/4K / Digital Rental / Purchase / Apple TV)

Frankenstein (Netflix)

Hamnet (DVD/Blu/4K / Digital Rental / Purchase / Peacock)

If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You (Digital Rental / Purchase / HBO Max)

It Was Just An Accident (Digital Rental / Purchase)

Jurassic World: Rebirth (DVD/Blu/4K / Digital Rental / Purchase / Netflix / Peacock)

KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)

The Lost Bus (Apple TV)

Little Amelie Or The Character Of Rain (Blu / Digital Rental / Purchase)

Marty Supreme (Digital Rental / Purchase)

Mr. Nobody Against Putin (Digital Rental / Purchase / Kino Free Trial!)

One Battle After Another (DVD/Blu/4K / Digital Rental / Purchase / HBO Max)

The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)

The Secret Agent (Digital Rental / Purchase / Hulu)

Sentimental Value (Digital Rental / Purchase)

Sinners (DVD/Blu/4K / Digital Rental / Purchase / Amazon Prime / HBO Max)

The Smashing Machine (Blu/4K / Digital Rental / Purchase / HBO Max)

Song Sung Blue (DVD/Blu / Digital Rental / Purchase / Peacock)

Train Dreams (Netflix)

The Ugly Stepsister (Digital Rental / Purchase / AMC+ / Hulu / Philo / Shudder)

Viva Verdi! (Digital Rental)

The Voice Of Hind Rajab (Digital Rental / Purchase)

Weapons (DVD/Blu/4K / Digital Rental / Purchase / HBO Max)

Zootopia 2 (DVD/Blu/4K / Digital Rental / Purchase / Disney+)


*************************************************************************************

Documentary Short Subject:

All The Empty Rooms (Netflix)

Armed With Only A Camera: The Life And Death Of Brent Renaud (HBO Max)

The Devil Is Busy (HBO Max)

Perfectly A Strangeness: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1A7... A Strangeness


*************************************************************************************

Animated Short Film:

Butterfly:


Forevergreen:


The Girl Who Cried Pearls:


Retirement Plan:


The Three Sisters: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Tt... Three Sisters


*************************************************************************************

Live Action Short Film:

Butcher's Stain: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ya...card.all.click / (Kanopy)

A Friend Of Dorothy: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Rj...77800998.1017]

Jane Austen's Period Drama: (Kanopy)


The Singers: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1yo...deo_card.click / (Netflix)

Two People Exchanging Saliva:



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This is still my favorite challenge and the only one I don’t miss, even when I was on my death bed!

I added the link to this year's nominees and to TCM's 31 days of Oscar schedule.

Enjoy and definitely watch Sinners if you haven't already.

We started my wife's favorite challenge off with a bang last night, watching One Battle After Another. Definitely need something more chill today.

I took advantage of the Fathom event to see all three LOTR extended editions in theaters. Unfortunately only the one I saw yesterday officially counts for the list, but that's ok. Fun to see them again.

I just thought that I would note from first hand experience, the Academy Award Database is working on Safari this year. I used it on Safari Thursday morning when comparing movies on my channel guide to see if any I was interested in was eligible.

It's still not working on mu ipad so maybe it's not a Safari issue, it's an OS issue. I'll change the verbiage.

Just watched the mostly unknown visual effects nominee, The Lost Bus. Wow! Ya, there are many deserving movies in this category this year and this one is rightly among them.

Reluctantly, I went to Hamnet yesterday. Reluctantly because I'm not big on schmaltzy romance stuff. That being said, I was completely wrong about what this movie is about. Believe me, for the most part, it is NOT about that.. If that is what is keeping you from seeing this excellent film, I hope that helps. If you need more, I'll tell you what the theme is here in a spoiler...



I almost used Hamnet as the hero image for the romance challenge, but a plot summary made me think it wasn't quite right for it. So I went with the Margot Robbie bodice-ripper instead.

I'm always surprised to find good movies that the Oscars ignored. This year, of course, Wicked: For Good got bupkes, and other even worthier films like 1984, A Face in the Crowd and Sweet Smell of Success were passed over. with 0 nominations. I was looking for a documentary, and found that Koyaanisqatsi wasn't nominated for anything, not even for score, editing, or documentary categories.

The Lost Bus is excellent; it should have received more nominations than just for visual effects.

Live Action Short Film "Butcher's Stain" added!

Wow! Good find!

Awesome. I noticed that "Jane Austin's Period Drama" was linked on the side of "Butcher's Stain" if folks don't have Kanopy.

Added 6 more shorts links! You may need to join the site or else click through the popups asking you to do so to watch uninterrupted...

So thanks to Mao, I watched Perfectly a Strangeness and I'm not sure how it qualifies as a documentary.

Right!? I agree!!!!

Funny side note...

I watched BP nominee "High Noon" last week, then recently watched BP nominee "Belfast"....which includes scenes of "High Noon" being watched on a television!

"If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You" and "The Smashing Machine" are now on HBO Max

I knew this was for best short doc when I started it, but part way through I just assumed I was wrong and it was for live action.. until I relooked it up after and I'm still was shocked my initial thought was correct. What a weird one.

Updated my post to add "Hamnet" and the Live Action short "The Singers".

Added "The Secret Agent"

I think this is the first year I've watched all the animated and live action shorts. Thanks for the links Mao. Watched West Side Story (1961) realized that this is one of the few films I don't think I want on 4k. Watching it this time around I really noticed the dark makeup they put on Chakiris. They did it to Moreno too but it doesn't look as bad. That will not look good in 4k.