98th Oscars Nominations Announced: Spotlight on Documentary and Short Film Contenders

The Academy has once again rolled out its annual parade of contenders, with Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman tasked with the ceremonial unveiling from the Goldwyn Theater. Predictably, the usual suspects—Warner Bros.’ Sinners and One Battle after Another—hoarded the lion’s share of nominations, beneath the surface-level spectacle, the real intrigue lies in the documentary and short film categories, where the limits of storytelling are still being quietly redrawn.

The 98th Oscars ceremony is set to air live on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

Here, the nominees for documentary and short film serve as an indication that the Academy’s margins are often where the most vital, unpredictable stories emerge—stories that rarely make the front page, but remain long after the end credits.

Documentary Short Film

The short documentary field is a crucible for both the personal and the political, with streaming giants jostling for relevance in stories that cut uncomfortably close to the bone.

“All the Empty Rooms” (Netflix) – Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones
“Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud” (HBO) – Craig Renaud and Juan Arredondo
“Children No More: ‘Were and Are Gone'” (Sky) – Hilla Medalia and Sheila Nevins
“The Devil Is Busy” (HBO) – Christalyn Hampton and Geeta Gandbhir
“Perfectly a Strangeness” (Second Sight Pictures) – Alison McAlpine

Live Action Short Film

Live Action Short Film remains the Academy’s wildcard—a collision of global perspectives, from Tel Aviv’s film school upstarts to Netflix’s ever-expanding reach.

“Butcher’s Stain” (Tel Aviv University Steve Tisch School of Film and Television) – Meyer Levinson-Blount and Oron Caspi
“A Friend of Dorothy” – Lee Knight and James Dean
“Jane Austen’s Period Drama” – Julia Aks and Steve Pinder
“The Singers” (Netflix) – Sam A. Davis and Jack Piatt
“Two People Exchanging Saliva” (Canal+/The New Yorker) – Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata

Animated Short Film

Animation, as ever, refuses to color inside the lines. This year’s slate veers from fiercely independent visions to the reliably inventive output of the National Film Board of Canada.

“Butterfly” (Sacrebleu Productions) – Florence Miailhe and Ron Dyens
“Forevergreen” – Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears
“The Girl Who Cried Pearls” (National Film Board of Canada) – Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski
“Retirement Plan” – John Kelly and Andrew Freedman
“The Three Sisters” (Polydont Films/Rymanco Ventures) – Konstantin Bronzit

For those still invested in the ritual, the 98th Oscars will air live on ABC and Hulu, with final voting set to unfold in the weeks leading up to the ceremony. The machinery grinds on, but the real drama, as always, plays out in the margins.