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The 2026 Academy Awards shortlists have been announced in categories like ‘Documentary Feature Film,’ ‘Makeup and Hairstyling,’ ‘Music,’ and many more. A slew of Netflix titles have made it to the shortlists, including Guillermo del Toro’s passion project, Frankenstein, Clint Bentley’s moving drama on early 20th-century life in Train Dreams, and, of course, Maggie Kang’s record-breaking animated fantasy flick, KPop Demon Hunters.

But this? It’s just the tip of the iceberg of recognition Netflix earned. While the official nominations will be announced in January 2026 for the forthcoming Academy Awards, for those curious about the shortlisted candidates, keep reading.

Oscar-winning del Toro’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s legendary 1818 novel, Frankenstein, has been shortlisted in multiple categories, including ‘Casting,’ ‘Cinematography,’ ‘Makeup and Hairstyling,’ ‘Music (Original Score),’ ‘Sound,’ and ‘Visual Effects.’ This means the monster retelling is about to give the competitors a run for their money, and it’s hard to keep calm.

But then again, del Toro’s dream-come-true project is not the only shortlisted title rounding out the categories more than once. So is Bentley’s Train Dreams, starring Joel Edgerton. The Netflix film has been shortlisted for Academy Awards categories, such as ‘Cinematography,’ ‘Music (Original Score),’ and ‘Music (Original Song).’

With Frankenstein shortlisted for six and Train Dreams following up with three, we come to a close with candidates appearing in multiple categories. But don’t mistake this for the end itself.

In addition to Frankenstein and Train Dreams, Ballad of a Small Player and Nouvelle Vague are also shortlisted in ‘Cinematography.’ Meanwhile, Left-Handed Girl has been selected as a shortlist for ‘International Feature Film.’

For those curious about the documentary slate, All the Empty Rooms has been shortlisted for ‘Documentary Short Film,’ while Apocalypse in the Tropics, Cover-Up, and The Perfect Neighbour are competing for ‘Documentary Feature Film.’

As for the category of ‘Music (Original Score),’ besides Frankenstein and Train Dreams, the shortlisted list has been narrowed down to A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE, Jay Kelly, and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Meanwhile, ‘Golden’ and ‘Train Dreams’ from KPop Demon Hunters and Train Dreams have been plucked out, respectively, for ‘Music (Original Song).’

Lastly, we have two shortlisted candidates for ‘Visual Effects,’ one of which is Frankenstein and the other, The Electric State. While it remains to be seen who ends up earning the Academy Awards nod among them, to know it all, don’t forget to check back on January 22nd, 2026.

The 2026 Academy Awards shortlist:

Casting

• Frankenstein

Cinematography

• Ballad of a Small Player
• Frankenstein
• Nouvelle Vague
• Train Dreams

Documentary Feature Film

• Apocalypse in the Tropics
• Cover-Up
• The Perfect Neighbour

Documentary Short Film

• All the Empty Rooms

International Feature Film

• Taiwan, Left-Handed Girl

Makeup and Hairstyling

• Frankenstein

Music (Original Score)

• Frankenstein
• A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE
• Jay Kelly
• Train Dreams
• Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Music (Original Song)

• ‘Golden’ from KPop Demon Hunters
• ‘Train Dreams’ from Train Dreams

Sound

• Frankenstein

Visual Effects

• The Electric State
• Frankenstein