Awards Daily Tv's Water Cooler Podcast

The full roster at The Contending gathers around the Water Cooler to give their (somewhat) final 2026 Oscars predictions! We are about to put the 2026 Oscars season to bed. Join the full team at The Contending as we give our predictions (as they stand at the time of recording) across all 24 Oscar categories. Some (Animated Feature, Song, Best Actress, to name a few) seem like foregone conclusions. Others (Best Supporting Actress, Cinematography) feel more debatable. And are people fooling themselves for thinking Sinners has a shot at Best Picture? Or is it really all sewed up with One Battle After Another? We offer interesting stats, theories, and gut takes as we wade through our final (and nearly 2-hour) podcast before Sunday’s 2026 Oscars ceremony. Plus, stick around until the end for a deep thought from our own David Phillips! Check back on Friday for our final, locked Oscar predictions on the site! We’re deeply appreciative for your shares, likes, and positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. C