Here in the final days of the 2026 Oscar season, Gold Derby has been sharing the secret — and unfiltered — ballots of several Academy Awards voters. We have compiled all of the results below in a slightly edited form. If you prefer to see the full ballots of each of our anonymous participants check them out here: Voter 1 | Voter 2 | Voter 3 | Voter 4 | Voter 5 | Voter 6
BEST PICTURE
Voter 1 (One Battle After Another): It’s one of those years for me when part of it is easy, and I love a film that much from the minute I see it. It happened for me last year with The Brutalist, and it didn’t pan out the way I hoped. They both share this unique epic vision beautifully realized, but One Battle is just head and shoulders even above that. I’m kind of unshakeable on that one. Second place is Sinners. Third place is Sentimental Value.
Voter 2 (Hamnet): This film moved me and made me emotional this year, which is a rare thing. It was so well made and punched me in the gut. The ending of that film is just what movies should be. Second place is One Battle After Another. Third place is Sentimental Value.
Voter 3 (Train Dreams): Let me just say that One Battle After Another wasn’t my favorite film of the year. If I was going to pick one — and I am — it would be Train Dreams, which I found to be a beautiful meditation on life. It’s extremely well-acted, and the cinematography is just gorgeous. The whole film is very captivating and leaves you thinking about your own situation and the world around us. I loved everything about it. I was very taken with Sentimental Value, too. But let’s face it, One Battle is probably going to win, and there’s a lot to love about it. It’s very well-acted and -directed.
Voter 4 (One Battle After Another): What can I say? This one isn’t even close. One Battle After Another is an iconic film, maybe the best I’ve seen in the last five years. It’s an epic screwball adventure with amazing individual scenes and superb performances throughout. Truly a visual feast for the eyes and ears. I was so blown away by it that I had to go see it three more times, and each time it felt like a different experience where I saw new stuff. It’s a big and darkly amusing and often messy movie that just kind of spoke to me. And the allusions to the present day were hardly lost on me. I think I may have to see it a fifth time before Oscar night. Don’t judge me. I also really appreciated Hamnet and Marty Supreme.
Voter 5 (One Battle After Another): The pacing of the movie, the dynamic performance by Leo and the other actors, and the way the film was set up. I enjoyed all of them in this category except for Marty Supreme, which I hated, hated. I couldn’t wait for that movie to be over. If it wasn’t for One Battle After Another being as good as it is, Frankenstein would without a doubt be my first choice.
Voter 6 (One Battle After Another): The first choice is One Battle After Another, which I’ve seen twice in Imax. I learned after the first time that you sort of need to be prepared for the first 15 minutes or so because I lot of people might get lost or wonder what kind of movie they’re in. There were just so many things about that movie that I liked between the performances and the storyline and the action that he captured. Second choice was Sinners. Third choice was Frankenstein.
Totals: One Battle After Another (4), Hamnet (1), Train Dreams (1)
Best Picture
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
BEST DIRECTOR
Voter 1 (Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another): The film is a masterpiece, and he is at the top of his game. I have loved him forever, you know, going back to Boogie Nights. It’s epic storytelling with such a light touch.
Voter 2 (Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another): I was torn between Paul Thomas Anderson and Chloé Zhao. What I find fascinating [about One Battle After Another] was all the different groups of people that he pulled into one story. It was going into different neighborhoods and was quickly moving and well told. It got fabulous performances out of everybody.
Voter 3 (Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value): Joachim Trier hit all of the right notes in his directing as far as I’m concerned. From the director POV, he got all the right layers, all the textures, and the best performances out of his actors. There was a nuance to it that I really feel Trier got perfectly. Sentimental Value is such a sensitive film, and in the wrong hands it could have gone very wrong. Fortunately, it was in the right hands. I also thought Ryan Coogler did a terrific job here with Sinners, but I think voters will reward him with the Original Screenplay Oscar. I realize Paul Thomas Anderson is the heavy favorite here, but I’m voting for a major upset with Joachim.
Voter 4 (Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another): Everyone tries so hard to sell Anderson as a genius that it frankly left me feeling a little skeptical going into One Battle. But after the first 20 minutes, I was sold. There is no director like him. As much as his ensemble, Anderson is the star of this show, ensnaring us in his crazy world and taking us for a rollercoaster ride like I’ve rarely been on. He’s got this Oscar locked up, in my estimation. The runner-up prize should go to Ryan Coogler for Sinners, another exceptional directing job.
Voter 5 (Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another): I know as a voter it has to be PTA.
Voter 6 (Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another): There were so many different things in that movie that I really liked, but the segment when Leonardo goes to Benicio’s dojo with the whole escape scene, going through the city, and then the police closing in on them was just amazing. It was the way that was escalating and unfolding, and I really admired that.
Totals: Anderson (5), Trier (1)
Best Director
1.
Paul Thomas Anderson
One Battle After Another
2.
3.
4.
Joachim Trier
Sentimental Value
5.
Josh Safdie
Marty Supreme
BEST ACTRESS
Voter 1 (Jessie Buckley, Hamnet): It was really a wonderful performance by Jessie Buckley, even though there are many in that category who are great. One that surprised me was Emma Stone in Bugonia. It had kind of a mixed reception, but I was blown away. But I thought Jessie was head and shoulders above. I thought maybe her toughest competition would be Rose Byrne. Even though that was a Herculean performance, the movie didn’t make a lot of sense to me.
Voter 2 (Jessie Buckley, Hamnet): Her performance just enriched my life for two hours. I thought she was absolutely wonderful. She carried that picture, and so did Paul Mescal. I first saw her in Judy, and then she had a film called Wild Rose. She’s always different, and I find her amazing.
Voter 3 (Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You): I think Rose Byrne, for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, is my strongest vote of them all. I’ve long believed that Rose is one of the best actresses of our generation. Quite frankly, she’s better than the film. It’s an incredibly raw performance, I think the best thing she’s ever done. She’s just mesmerizing and incredibly powerful. There are a lot of terrific portrayals in the category this time. I also really loved Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value. She’d be my second choice.
Voter 4 (Jessie Buckley, Hamnet): Once I got past the idea that the film wasn’t simply misspelling Hamlet, I was blown away by Buckley’s lead performance that was incredibly captivating. Her work feels more like possession than portrayal. She grabbed my heart and never gave it back until the film was over. It’s just extraordinary, and I’m not ashamed to say she left me crying often. Maybe I’m just a softie, but you rarely see someone with the dramatic depth that Jessie displayed. The film is as devastating and tragic as it’s supposed to be, and she brings it to life, brilliantly. Really loved Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value. She’d be my second choice.
Voter 5 (Jessie Buckley, Hamnet): Without her performance, I might have turned the movie off. It was so electrical, and the most interesting thing about the movie is watching her act. I just knew when I saw her that she was it. Kate Hudson was also good, and Rose Byrne would have probably been my second choice.
Voter 6 (Jessie Buckley, Hamnet): I’m very confident in that decision and thought she really lived in that role. I never questioned her authenticity for a second. I also thought it was a really strong category this year, but with the period piece aspect of it and the depth of what she had to portray, I thought she was very strong.
Totals: Buckley (5), Byrne (1)
Best Actress
1.
2.
Rose Byrne
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
3.
Renate Reinsve
Sentimental Value
4.
5.
Kate Hudson
Song Sung Blue
BEST ACTOR
Voter 1 (Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another): I thought it was maybe the movie of the year and maybe of the decade. Leo was fantastic, and I’m an admirer of his. It was a really tough competitive category this year.
Voter 2 (Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent): I thought it was a very sensitive performance. I loved the movie, and he just hit all the notes. There were no histrionics, and everything was very subtle.
Voter 3 (Michael B. Jordan, Sinners): I think Michael Jordan is overdue to be honored. He should have been nominated for the Black Panther movie, too, and wasn’t. He’s always good, but was especially great in Sinners. He’s great, and the Oscars could use a bit more racial balance in its winners. And I’m just thinking about the fact Jordan portrays twin brothers. He should get extra points for playing two characters in one. That requires a lot of nuance and is extra difficult. I also loved Ethan Hawke, who is overdue for some Oscar love on his fifth nomination. But my first choice is Michael.
Voter 4 (Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another): DiCaprio makes one terrific paranoid, washed-up former revolutionary. The thing I love so much about his performance is that it’s so unexpected. He’s a big star who really transforms himself into something we’ve never seen before, which is rare among superstar performers. You really feel like you’re inside this shmoe’s skin and head, which is all you can ask for from an actor. I would say Timothée Chalamet is a close second here for Marty Supreme, but his believable work can’t eclipse Leonardo’s, which is simply stellar throughout.
Voter 5 (Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent): There’s a lot of politics in that category, as always. I wouldn’t be surprised with anybody after the [Robert Aramayo] upset at BAFTA. Moura gave a great performance that came out of nowhere. With the diversification of our membership, there’s even more of an attraction to a foreign language role. His performance is always good, no matter what he’s in. I personally did not like Chalamet at all because his role was so despicable.
Voter 6 (Michael B. Jordan, Sinners): I think for somebody to just have a technical achievement of playing two characters and the nuance to make them distinguishable, he merits the Oscar award. For Leonardo, one of the things I think about is likeability, and I just loved his character in that movie. The image of him running around in the bathrobe with his sort of laid back and befuddled nature.
Totals: DiCaprio (2), Jordan (2), Moura (2)
Best Actor
1.
Michael B. Jordan
Sinners
2.
Timothée Chalamet
Marty Supreme
3.
Wagner Moura
The Secret Agent
4.
Leonardo DiCaprio
One Battle After Another
5.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Voter 1 (Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another): Teyana Taylor had an instantly iconic role, and I thought she was amazing. Again, very strong competition.
Voter 2 (Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another): I’m going with Teyana Taylor, but it could have been Inga from Sentimental Value. I’ve never seen that kind of character before. Even though she is part of the first half hour, she’s dynamic, and it’s a true supporting role.
Voter 3 (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value): Inga is getting my vote, even though I know it’s probably impossible for people to try to spell her last name. Talk about a journalistic nightmare. Inga was the yin to the yang of the more boring sister played by Renate Reinsve. She brought Sentimental Value to life. Inga is the one who illuminates everything as Agnes. So she gets my number one vote. I also really thought Teyana Taylor was terrific in One Battle After Another playing the badass role. She’d be my second choice.
Voter 4 (Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another): How could you not love Teyana Taylor in that film? She’s smolderingly sexy and just commands the screen in a breathtaking way whenever we see her, which unfortunately isn’t nearly enough in the second half of the movie. I was glad to see her win the Golden Globe, and I’m voting for her for the Oscar, which I feel like she can’t lose. I’ve rarely seen a performance more electrifying than the one she turns in, going toe to toe with a couple of the best actors on the planet and more than holding her own.
Voter 5 (Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another): Supporting is always a tough one. I know there was also a surprise with BAFTA, but Teyana Taylor is getting my vote. That was amazing work with intensity. You couldn’t take your eyes off her when she was on screen. She added a lot to the overall movie. If we don’t buy her and don’t like her character, that’s the whole first third of the movie. Inga was probably my second choice from Sentimental Value.
Voter 6 (Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another): I have Teyana Taylor as my first choice, even though she is not on screen that much. She really makes a presence throughout the movie, so that screentime is so memorable and powerful. The next person I had was Amy Madigan because she did such a great job pulling off this wacky character.
Totals: Taylor (5), Lilleaas (1)
Best Supporting Actress
1.
2.
3.
Teyana Taylor
One Battle After Another
4.
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas
Sentimental Value
5.
Elle Fanning
Sentimental Value
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Voter 1 (Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value): The minute I saw One Battle, I thought Sean Penn had it locked up. But then, I think Stellan Skarsgård is really terrific. You could also argue he is overdue. But it was really up in the air, and that also included Delroy Lindo for Sinners.
Voter 2 (Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value): I’m still on Stellan Skarsgård, but I’m a little divided on that because I don’t think it’s a supporting performance. It’s really a lead. I had never seen him be so subtle. We could see the artist in a frustrated situation; not just an artist, but also a parent. My other option would be Sean Penn, who I thought was fantastic.
Voter 3 (Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein): This is Jacob Elordi hands down for me. He’s just riveting onscreen. He’s a great monster. The funny thing is, I’m not even a Frankenstein fan as a rule. Yet I liked the film in large part because of the humanity that Elordi brought to it. The film is really well done, and he’s a great monster. That was a role that it seemingly would have been easy for an actor to mail it in. But the way he did it was really distinctive and amazingly powerful. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I was also glad to see Delroy Lindo get recognized for Sinners. He was great and would be my second choice.
Voter 4 (Delroy Lindo, Sinners): This really feels like an opportunity for the Academy Awards to do right by a veteran actor whose work and talent have been overlooked for far too long. Delroy Lindo is a total scene-stealer in a really entertaining film. And after he got stiffed for a nomination in Da 5 Bloods several years ago, he kind of feels like the ultimate underdog here as Slim. I’ve been telling all my voter friends to put him down on their ballots, too – if they are so inclined, of course. No intimidation here. It was hard for me to go against Sean Penn, who is so hate-able in One Battle. But I did.
Voter 5 (Delroy Lindo, Sinners): This is more emotional than probably based on anything specific, but I just love Delroy Lindo. He’s been brilliant in a lot of movies and overlooked. If it wasn’t for him, it would be Jacob Elordi. So much of his part was his tenderness in a role that most people would not think of as tender.
Voter 6 (Sean Penn, One Battle After Another): I heard some people say that they didn’t realize it was him because he looks so different. I just think he got into that role so well, and it made my skin crawl. It really scared me.
Totals: Lindo (2), Skarsgård (2), Elordi (1), Penn (1)
Best Supporting Actor
1.
Sean Penn
One Battle After Another
2.
Stellan Skarsgård
Sentimental Value
3.
4.
Jacob Elordi
Frankenstein
5.
Benicio Del Toro
One Battle After Another
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Voter 1 (One Battle After Another): I had not read the book [Vineland by Thomas Pynchon], but what I saw from Paul Thomas Anderson was a very cohesive work. It made a lot of political points lightly with a juggling of genres. It was brilliant and remarkable.
Voter 2 (Hamnet): It’s simply my favorite film. I thought it was interesting that we’re talking about Shakespeare, and we’re not dealing with him really. It’s the female lead who is one of those characters who is of the earth, that takes care of everything, and nurtures everyone. I just thought it was magical.
Voter 3 (Train Dreams): I give this to Train Dreams hands down because I mean, come on, who can create a script out of a Denis Johnson novella? That couldn’t have been easy, so my hat is off to the writers Clint Bentley and Greg Kewdar for doing it with such panache and engagement. Johnson is such a cerebral writer that you wouldn’t think something so cinematic could emerge from that source material. They’ve written a wonder of a movie that I was just enchanted by. Frankenstein, written by Guillermo del Toro, would be my back-up.
Voter 4 (One Battle After Another): How can I resist this script as my first choice? If you go to war in your mind every day with the Trump administration as I do, this film — and Paul Thomas Anderson’s adapted screenplay — feels like a catharsis, kind of a giant exhale from what’s going on around us. It’s all about resistance, albeit with all sorts of broad strokes thrown in. It holds your interest from start to finish despite being so long, and the story pivots around beautifully, seamlessly shifting from dark comedy to nail-biting suspense without batting an eye.
Voter 5 (One Battle After Another): The movie was brilliant. Anderson makes you think. He also directed it, so there’s a lot more influence than most screenwriters would have with their impact on a movie. But career-wise, you know, it’s not a surprise he wrote such a great screenplay here.
Voter 6 (Frankenstein): I’m going with Frankenstein because I thought Guillermo brought a real fresh look to it with the way he framed the story. He really made me believe in the characters a great deal with the way he set it up.
Totals: One Battle After Another (3), Frankenstein (1), Hamnet (1), Train Dreams (1)
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Voter 1 (Sinners): This one was a little trickier, but it’s Sinners. I had It Was Just an Accident for a long time, but Sinners was so inventive and also a great juggling of genres.
Voter 2 (Sinners): That came from lefty, a blues film about vampires and the South. I thought it was just really well done and very surprising.
Voter 3 (Sinners): I’ve got to give this one to Ryan Coogler for his Sinners screenplay. He’s not going to win for directing, so he should take home this one. It wasn’t easy to craft a powerful, character-driven story in the horror genre — where atmospherics and graphics always trump the performances. But Coogler pulls it off. It’s a really entertaining piece of work with terrific production touches, but that all starts with the words on the page. This script makes the story come to life and never falters. Sentimental Value would be my number two here.
Voter 4 (Sinners): I felt completely engaged by this complex but incredibly compelling story. That Ryan Coogler really knows what he’s doing. No movie this year was as purely visual and imaginative as this one, weaving together a whole lot of threads around Black culture and tradition and pride along with a lot of incredible music. I was sort of mesmerized. The fact that it’s also a horror movie only adds to what made this screenplay so impressive. In less capable hands, this could have been a total disaster. Instead, it’s pretty epic. Nothing else in this category spoke to me the same way.
Voter 5 (Sinners): It’s the creativity. Coogler has always been good, but he integrated this whole vampire storyline into this while making it seem natural, not like a diversion. It was quite a challenge, and he met it.
Voter 6 (Sinners): The most original is Sinners because the world and the storyline are combined along with racism and vampires. Combining those elements the way he did was pretty brilliant.
Totals: Sinners (6)
