This year’s nominees for the 98th Academy Awards gathered under one roof Tuesday afternoon for the annual Oscars luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel — a rare pause in the relentless awards-season sprint where competitors became colleagues and rivals turned conversationalists. It is, in many ways, the last truly “happy” day of the season. Everyone in the room is still a winner in the most literal sense: They made it inside.
Held within the Wilshire Ballroom, the luncheon is a carefully controlled logistical ritual. Nominees arrive through a no-frills process in which personal publicists are notably absent unless attending as a plus-one. Table assignments are randomized. There are no entourages, no strategy sessions — just artists and collaborators sharing space. For many, it is the first moment when the reality of an Oscar nomination fully sinks in.
Lynette Howell Taylor, the newly elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who took office in July 2025 after succeeding Janet Yang, delivered the welcome remarks, underscoring both the significance of the moment and the communal spirit of the gathering. Casting directors, she noted pointedly, were among those being honored this year — a line that drew audible response from the room.
The nominations were dominated by Warner Bros., powered by a one-two punch from two of cinema’s most acclaimed auteurs: Paul Thomas Anderson with “One Battle After Another” and Ryan Coogler with “Sinners.” Coogler’s vampire epic led the field with a record-setting 16 nominations, while Anderson’s action drama followed closely with 13. Both films earned best picture nominations alongside “Bugonia,” “F1,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “The Secret Agent,” “Sentimental Value” and “Train Dreams.”
It’s an impossible task to judge applause, but everyone knew who got the loudest one
It is always risky to declare a winner in a room governed by decorum, but one reaction was impossible to miss. When Ryan Coogler’s name was read — for best picture, directing and original screenplay — the applause was unmistakably the loudest of the afternoon. His wife and fellow nominated producer, Zinzi Coogler, appeared to be among its most enthusiastic contributors.
A close runner-up in the applause stakes was Benicio Del Toro, nominated for supporting actor for “One Battle After Another,” whose entrance into the room drew a spontaneous and sustained reaction. Guillermo Del Toro, a nominated producer on “Frankenstein,” was also greeted with notable enthusiasm.
The annual reading of nominees’ names, conducted this year by Lou Diamond Phillips, a member of the acting branch Board of Governors, began with Delroy Lindo, nominated for supporting actor for “Sinners,” and concluded with “One Battle After Another” supporting actress nominee Teyana Taylor, who joked with Variety on her way out, “They saved the best for last.”
There was also an audible response for each of the five casting director nominees — a moment Howell Taylor had flagged earlier in her remarks.
Who wasn’t in the room
Not every nominee could attend.
Two-time Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson, widely considered the frontrunner for original score for “Sinners,” was absent, having returned to London to complete work on Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic “The Odyssey,” an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek poem.
Norwegian actor Renate Reinsve, earning her first Oscar nomination for best actress for “Sentimental Value,” was also unable to step away from production, having recently begun filming Alexander Payne’s Danish-language feature “Somewhere Out There.”
Sean Penn, who landed his sixth acting nomination for his turn in Anderson’s “One Battle After Another,” did not attend — not entirely surprising given his past public remarks about wanting to “smelt” his Oscar.
Oscar winner Natalie Portman, nominated as a producer on the animated feature “Arco,” was also absent, as was Oscar winner Sam Mendes, likely deep into production on his ambitious four-film Beatles project.
Brazilians supporting Brazilians
At Table 23, where Variety was seated alongside nominees including “F1” producer Jeremy Kleiner, “Hamnet” set decorator Alice Felton and “Sirât” director Oliver Laxe, Brazilian cinematographer Adolpho Veloso (“Train Dreams”) became an unofficial cheer captain. He loudly celebrated each Brazilian nominee announced, including best actor contender Wagner Moura for “The Secret Agent” and international feature director Kleber Mendonça Filho.
Only the NBA might have a “taller” room of players.
One lighter observation circulated quietly: This may be one of the tallest groups of Oscar nominees in recent memory.
Between Jacob Elordi (6-foot-5), nominated for supporting actor for “Frankenstein”; producer Scott Stuber (6-foot-4); Stellan Skarsgård (6-foot-3); and Laxe (6-foot-6), some group photos required creative staging. One reliable solution was to include Guillermo Del Toro, whose humor consistently loosened the room and ensured genuine smiles during the Class of 2026 photo.
Hollywood power players were on deck
Josh D’Amaro, the newly minted CEO of the Walt Disney Co., attended alongside Dana Walden. When D’Amaro entered the ballroom, Walden trailed a few steps behind. He paused to wait for her before they walked in together, accompanied by Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment.
The gathering also carried added resonance as ABC enters its final three years as the Academy Awards’ broadcast partner, lending the afternoon an understated sense of transition.
Some advice for Hollywood’s biggest night
Before the luncheon concluded, Howell Taylor offered practical guidance for nominees preparing for Oscar night — advice met with knowing laughter and attentive nods.
- Be prepared. Don’t say you didn’t expect it. You have a one in five chance of winning for best picture.
- Get yourself to the stage quickly. You have 45 seconds to complete your speech. A countdown will help you keep to time. The producers signed a contract with ABC, and they will play you off. You can still say an awful lot in 45 seconds. Also, extending your speech is unfair to your fellow nominees when there is a limited amount of time on air.
- Make it heartfelt. Make it authentic. The instinct is to list all the people who have contributed to your success leading up to this moment and thank them publicly. But the truth is, you’ll forget someone, you’ll feel terrible, and they’ll feel terrible. Or someone you never even intended to thank will wonder why you didn’t thank them. Instead, think about what it means to you and try to communicate that.
- Have a single voice. If you are a group, decide ahead of time who will speak.
- No cell phones. Use paper. It looks better on TV.
- Don’t lean into the microphone. It will pick you up no matter where you stand.
Heartwarming moments and reunions
Kate Hudson, a best actress nominee for “Song Sung Blue,” was among the first spotted in the lobby, returning to the Oscars after 25 years since her breakthrough nomination for “Almost Famous.”
When Jessie Buckley entered the room, she lit it up with her smile, celebrating her first best actress nomination for “Hamnet.” She was previously nominated in supporting actress for “The Lost Daughter.” Buckley shared a tender moment with fellow best actress nominee Rose Byrne (“If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You”), the two embracing and exchanging compliments on each other’s work. Both are widely considered leading contenders in the category.
Chloe Zhao moved easily through the room, happy and animated. Elle Fanning was also on hand, savoring her first Oscar nomination for “Sentimental Value.”
EJAE, the singer-songwriter behind “Golden” from the Netflix hit “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” was a lively presence, chatting with numerous nominees, including Emma Stone. The two paused for a photo together.
Josh Safdie, director, editor, producer and co-writer of “Marty Supreme,” attended as the only individual nominated for four Academy Awards this year.
There were many warm interactions, including Ethan Hawke circulating with fellow nominees alongside Michael Barker, co-head of Sony Pictures Classics. At one point, Hawke, Timothée Chalamet and Barker shared hugs, with both actors telling Barker he was the reason they had careers — a moment that visibly moved him.
Outside the ballroom, Anderson — triple-nominated for producing, directing and screenplay for “One Battle After Another” — was seen chatting with Steven Spielberg, a nominated producer on “Hamnet.” The two were catching up amiably in the lobby.
Amy Madigan, nominated for “Weapons,” drew attention as she entered the room. It was her first nomination since the 1980s, and the energy around her felt markedly different this time. Dressed in a striking blue suit, she was greeted warmly by Netflix film chief Dan Lin.
Past Oscar nominees were also in attendance as guests, including “Mudbound” screenwriter Virgil Williams, who was seen exchanging numbers with Diane Warren after she encouraged him to call her when he directs his next project. Williams was later spotted chatting with Teyana Taylor, a supporting actress nominee for “One Battle After Another.”
Leonardo DiCaprio attended with his father. He spoke with Scott Stube and caught up with Hawke. Nearby, Chalamet and Emma Stone lingered in an extended conversation at their assigned Table No. 3 near the front of the room.
Elordi, meanwhile, is currently starring in “Wuthering Heights,” the upcoming Emerald Fennell adaptation opening in theaters, co-starring Margot Robbie, and was seen hugging Pam Abdi. A nice reminder that even on a day meant for reflection, the next season is already waiting.
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