With final Oscar balloting closed on March 5, we’re running our ninth annual series of anonymous interviews with Academy voters from different branches for their unfiltered takes on what got picked, overlooked, and overvalued in the 2026 award season. Voters’ picks are in bold. Interview edited for brevity.
This director saw over 300 movies last year, turned off “Avatar: Fire & Ash” midway through, and skipped, like many Oscar voters, Animated Feature, Song, and shorts. These categories are voted on by a small number of members.
Best Director: Ryan Coogler, “Sinners.”
For me, it’s down to three: “One Battle After Another,” “Sentimental Value,”…