Netflix wasted no time in slapping a bunch of “Oscar nominee” badges on its highest profile movies that have just made their way into the 2026 list across a number of categories.
That, of course, means that you can flip on the service and watch any of them right now, as opposed to other nominees that are much harder to find (I seriously have no idea where to watch The Secret Agent, and Marty Supreme has to hit streaming already). Netflix, long accused of being antithetical to the current Hollywood theater/release system, though it’s something it says it will respect if it buys WB and its slate of movies, which this year, would include things like Sinners and One Battle After Another this year alone.
So, when you log in to Netflix, here’s what you’ll see tagged, along with the awards it’s been nominated for.
Frankenstein, nominated for:
- Best Picture
- Best Supporting Actor: Jacob Elordi
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro
- Best Cinematography
- Best Production Design
- Best Original Score
- Best Sound
- Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Train Dreams, nominated for:
- Best Picture
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar
- Best Cinematography
- Best Original Song: Train Dreams
KPop Demon Hunters, nominated for Best Animated Film and Best Original Song: Golden
The Perfect Neighbor, nominated for Best Documentary Feature
All the Empty Rooms, nominated for Best Documentary Short
With streaming services, it’s a bit weird in terms of Oscar qualification, as getting on, say, The Best Picture list requires a minimum amount of theatrical runtime, which we got with both Frankenstein and Train Dreams, however limited. KPop Demon Hunters just had a weekend of a sing-along showcase.
Netflix has had 10 Best Picture nominations before this year’s two, bringing the total to 12. The others are Emilia Perez, Maestro, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Power of the Dog, Don’t Look Up, Mank, The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Irishman, Marriage Story and Roma. The only streaming service to ever win Best Picture is Apple TV with CODA in 2022.
Will Netflix win this year? No, it won’t. Not that Frankenstein and Train Dreams are bad, but they’re never going to top the likes of Sinners or One Battle After Another this year. I expect KPop Demon Hunters to take both Best Animated Feature and Best Song, however, given the other award shows it has swept already.
Well, if Netflix does manage to acquire WB, that will be a different story, even if the brand names are separated. Will it “count” then, as a streaming service win? We’re getting into uncharted territory here.
Follow me on Twitter and YouTube.
Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
