2026 Oscar Predictions: COSTUME DESIGN and PRODUCTION DESIGN (October)
After winning these two categories last year, the Wicked sequel, Wicked: For Good, is probably in very good shape to make it two for two once again but Frankenstein is going to give it some chase.
As across the board players, Hamnet and Sinners will both be represented here as well but the real strength of One Battle After Another, a contemporary film, will be challenged here. While the production design of the film seems to stand a likelier shot, the minimal and modern costuming feels like a longer shot. But, with 12 Oscar nominations and four wins under her belt, Colleen Atwood can’t be dismissed entirely. That said, she’s never gotten in for a non-period or non-fantasy based film. Which is why Atwood’s work in Kiss of the Spider Woman, both period and a bit of fantasy, stands a better chance.
Marty Supreme can challenge for a spot in both categories, and I can see lower tier chances for The Phoenician Scheme and Nouvelle Vague to possibly break through. The previous Avatar films have either won or been nominated so it makes sense to have Fire and Ash high.
Comic book movies struggle here despite often wild and outlandish costumes and art direction but could The Fantastic Four: First Steps break that mold? The 60s aesthetic is certainly different than most ‘modern day’ set superhero flicks and the costumes (by Oscar winner Alexandra Byrne) for the four are certainly memorable. Kasra Farahani was Emmy-nominated for his similarly designed Loki sets for that series.
The Costume Designers Guild (CDG) nominations will be revealed on December 12 while the Art Directors Guild (ADG) nominees will be announced on January 7.
Here are my 2026 Oscar nomination predictions in Costume Design and Production Design for October.
COSTUME DESIGN
| 1. Wicked: For Good — Paul Tazewell (Universal Pictures) |
| 2. Frankenstein — Kate Hawley (Netflix) |
| 3. Hamnet — Malgosia Turzanska (Focus Features) |
| 4. Sinners — Ruth E. Carter (Warner Bros) |
| 5. Marty Supreme — Miyako Bellizzi (A24) |
| 6. Kiss of the Spider Woman — Colleen Atwood and Christine L. Cantella (Roadside Attractions) |
| 7. Hedda — Lindsay Pugh (Amazon MGM) |
| 8. One Battle After Another — Colleen Atwood (Warner Bros) |
| 9. The Testament of Ann Lee — Malgorzata Karpiuk (Searchlight Pictures) |
| 10. Snow White — Sandy Powell (Walt Disney) |
| 11. The Phoenician Scheme — Melina Cananero (Focus Features) |
| 12. The Fantastic Four: First Steps — Alexandra Byrne (Walt Disney) |
| 13. Nouvelle Vague — Pascaline Chavanne (Netflix) |
| 14. Nuremberg — Bartholomew Cariss (Sony Pictures Classics) |
| 15. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale — Anna Mary Scott Robbins (Focus Features) |
| 16. Blue Moon — Consolata Boyle (Sony Pictures Classics) |
| 17. Train Dreams — Malgosia Turzanska (Netflix) |
| 18. The Secret Agent — Rita Azevedo (NEON) |
| 19. The History of Sound — Miyako Bellizzi (MUBI) |
| 20. The Mastermind — Amy Roth (MUBI) |
Other contenders: Song Sung Blue — Ernesto Martinez (Focus Features), Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere — Kasia Walicka Maimone (20th Century Studios)
PRODUCTION DESIGN
| 1. Wicked: For Good — Nathan Crowley, set decoration: Lee Sandales (Universal Pictures) |
| 2. Frankenstein — Tamara Deverell, set decoration: Shane Vieau (Netflix) |
| 3. Sinners — Hannah Beachler, set decoration: Monique Champagne (Warner Bros) |
| 4. Hamnet — Fiona Crombie, set decoration: Alice Felton (Focus Features) |
| 5. Marty Supreme — Jack Fisk, set decoration: Adam Willis (A24) |
| 6. Avatar: Fire and Ash — Dylan Cole and Ben Procter, set decoration: Vanessa Cole (20th Century Studios) |
| 7. One Battle After Another — Florencia Martin, set decoration: Anthony Carlino (Warner Bros) |
| 8. The Phoenician Scheme — Adam Stockhausen, set decoration: Anna Pinnock (Focus Features) |
| 9. The Testament of Ann Lee — Sam Bader, set decoration: Lauren Doss and Mercédesz Nagyváradi (Searchlight Pictures) |
| 10. Nouvelle Vague — Katia Wyszkop (Netflix) |
| 11. Train Dreams — Alexandra Schaller, set decoration: Melissa Jusufi (Netflix) |
| 12. Nuremberg — Eve Stewart (Sony Pictures Classics) |
| 13. The Fantastic Four: First Steps — Kasra Farahani, set decoration: Jille Azis (Walt Disney) |
| 14. Hedda — Cara Bower, set decoration: Stella Fox (Amazon MGM) |
| 15. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale — Donal Woods, set decoration: Linda Wilson (Focus Features) |
| 16. Kiss of the Spider Woman — Scott Chambliss, set decoration: Andrew Baseman (Roadside Attractions) |
| 17. Blue Moon — Susie Cullen, set decoration: Kevin Downey, Elia Martinoli (Sony Pictures Classics) |
| 18. The Secret Agent — Thales Junqueira (NEON) |
| 19. The Mastermind — Anthony Gasparro, set decoration: Amy Beth Silver (MUBI) |
| 20. The History of Sound — Deborah Jensen, set decoration: Toni Child, Mary Fellowes, Laura Latorre (MUBI) |
Other contenders: How to Train Your Dragon — Daniel Watkins, set decoration: Daniel Birt (Universal Pictures), Mickey 17 — Fiona Crombie, set decoration: Alice Felton (Warner Bros)
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- ‘Jay Kelly,’ ‘Hamnet,’ ‘Pluribus,’ ‘Task’ and More on AFI’s Top 10 Films and Television of 2025 Lists - December 4, 2025
- ‘Frankenstein’ to Receive Visionary Honor from Palm Springs International Film Awards - December 4, 2025
- Robert Yeoman to be Honored with American Society of Cinematographers’ Lifetime Achievement Award - December 3, 2025
‘Jay Kelly,’ ‘Hamnet,’ ‘Pluribus,’ ‘Task’ and More on AFI’s Top 10 Films and Television of 2025 Lists 
‘Frankenstein’ to Receive Visionary Honor from Palm Springs International Film Awards 
Robert Yeoman to be Honored with American Society of Cinematographers’ Lifetime Achievement Award 
National Board of Review: ‘One Battle After Another’ Tops in Film, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor; Netflix Lands Four in Top 10