Makeup & Hairstyling
Nominees:

“The Alto Knights”
“Frankenstein”
“Kokuho”
“Marty Supreme”
“Nuremberg”
“One Battle after Another”
“Sinners”
“The Smashing Machine”
“The Ugly Stepsister”
“Wicked: For Good”

Per the Academy’s press release:

Ten films will advance in the Makeup and Hairstyling category for the 98th Academy Awards. Members of the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. Academy members will be invited to view excerpts and interviews with the artists from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, January 10, 2026.

Nominations voting begins on Monday, January 12, 2026, and concludes on Friday, January 16, 2026. Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026. The 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.

OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS

FRANKENSTEIN • Netflix

Guillermo del Toro | Director
Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale, Scott Stuber | Producers

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER • Warner Bros. Pictures

Paul Thomas Anderson | Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, Adam Somner, Sara Murphy | Producers

SINNERS • Warner Bros Pictures

Ryan Coogler | Director
Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ryan Coogler | Producers

THE SMASHING MACHINE • A24

Benny Safdie | Director
Benny Safdie, Dwayne Johnson, Eli Bush, Hiram Garcia, Dany Garcia, David Koplan | Producers

WICKED: FOR GOOD • Universal Pictures

Jon M. Chu | Director
Marc Platt, David Stone | Producers

WHY I CHOSE THOSE FIVE?

Frankenstein is the odds-on favorite to win Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the Oscars. Not only has it been sweeping the precursor awards, but simply watching the film makes it clear why. Guillermo del Toro’s films are renowned for their inventive use of practical makeup effects, and the fact that Jacob Elordi reportedly spent 10 to 11 hours in the makeup chair each day underscores just how far the team went in service of the craft.

As with many categories this season, Sinners and One Battle After Another appear poised to face off here as well. Sinners boasts elaborate hair and makeup for its stylish club-going ensemble, along with an entirely separate effects approach for its vampires, making it an easy pick for a nomination. One Battle After Another, meanwhile, has only one precursor nomination from the Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild—still a meaningful one, especially if you only land a single precursor—and features a less overtly showy aesthetic. Still, the film incorporates notable prosthetic work by its conclusion, and coordinating hair and makeup across a large ensemble makes it a solid contender.

Wicked: For Good also feels like a shoo-in. The first installment was nominated in this category last year, though it’s worth wondering whether that history helps or hurts its chances. On one hand, the Academy may feel the team was already recognized, especially since the films were shot back-to-back. On the other, voters could reason that if the work on the first film merited a nomination, the sequel deserves one as well.

The final slot is harder to predict. Historically, this category has embraced films that weren’t necessarily on everyone’s radar, so it wouldn’t shock me if something like Kokuho or The Ugly Stepsister managed to sneak in despite limited buzz. At times, the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch seems inclined to reward whatever they find most impressive, regardless of popularity. That said, I’m ultimately going with The Smashing Machine, as the team’s transformation of Dwayne Johnson is genuinely striking. The film has also picked up more precursor recognition than the other long-shot contenders, which gives it the edge for me.

“Kokuho”