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Oscar 2026 Voting Begins: A Deep Dive into the Academy’s Selection process
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The process to determine the nominees for the 98th Academy Awards is officially underway, with voting opening this Monday, December 12th, and continuing through Friday, December 16th. More than 10,000 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are eligible to participate in selecting the contenders for the coveted Oscar statuette.
A Diverse Voting Body
The Academy’s electorate is comprised of professionals spanning all facets of the film industry – from directors and actors to screenwriters, executives, and marketing specialists. These members are organized into 17 distinct sections, each with a specialized focus. A key aspect of the voting process is that members generally vote within their own disciplines; actors vote for actors, and screenwriters for screenwriters. However, the Best Film category remains an exception, allowing participation from the entire Academy membership.
The initial phase involves members receiving digital ballots were they rank their preferred candidates in each category. To advance to the final nominee list, a candidate must appear at least once as a top preference. The Academy employs a specific calculation to determine nominee eligibility, factoring in the total number of voters and the number of potential nominees.
The Best International Film category utilizes a two-round voting system.In the frist round, all Academy members participate in a secret ballot to narrow down a list of registered films to 15. A subsequent vote on Monday will then reduce that selection to the final five nominees.
Once nominations are finalized, all Academy members who wish to participate are eligible to vote for the winners, regardless of their involvement in the initial nomination stages. At this point, voters select only one nominee per category, with the candidate receiving the most votes ultimately claiming the award.
the Preferential Ballot for best Film
Since 2009,the selection of the Best Film winner has employed a preferential voting system. Voters rank their top ten nominated titles. If a film secures an absolute majority by appearing first on the majority of ballots, it is immediatly declared the winner. Otherwise, the film with the fewest first-place votes is eliminated, and its ballots are redistributed based on voters’ second preferences. This process continues iteratively until a film surpasses the 50% threshold.
“The Secret Agent” Gains Momentum
The opening of Oscar voting coincides with the recent success of “The Secret Agent” at the Golden Globes, where it secured awards for Best Non-English Language Feature and Best actor in a Drama Film for Wagner Moura. This momentum has fueled expectations that the Brazilian production will be a strong contender for an Oscar nomination, which will be announced on January 22nd.
A Tale of Two Awards: Oscar vs. Golden Globe
While both awards recognize cinematic excellence, their voting bodies differ considerably. The Golden Globe Awards are decided by approximately 400 journalists from around the world, including 39 from Brazil – representing nearly 10% of the total. in contrast, the Hollywood Academy boasts over 10,000 voting members. Estimates suggest that around 200 Academy members hail from Latin America, with just over 70 from Brazil, accounting for a mere 0.7% of the Academy’s overall participation.
