Every year, the Oscars spark debates about who truly deserves to win the Best Picture trophy. Sometimes, it is clear as day, but there have been several years when the competition was intense.
Multiple solid movies were battling for the top prize, and these moments made the Academy Awards truly unpredictable and unforgettable. So, here are the tightest Oscar races for Best Picture, where the competition was so high that picking just one winner felt impossible!
10. 2017 – Both Moonlight and La La Land Make It to the Stage
The Best Picture race at the 89th Academy Awards in 2017 delivered the most dramatic moment in Oscar history. Presenters mistakenly announced La La Land as the winner, and then it was corrected minutes later, revealing Moonlight as the true victor.
The lineup itself was incredibly strong, and nominees included Arrival, Manchester by the Sea, Hidden Figures, Lion, Hacksaw Ridge, Fences, and Hell or High Water. Each of them is a cultural hit, with La La Land being a heavy favorite, and earning 14 nominations, tying with the record that was only recently broken by Sinners.
9. 2011 – Black Swan and The Social Network Lose the Race
A still from The King’s Speech | Credits: See-Saw Films
For much of the awards season, The Social Network, directed by David Fincher, was considered the frontrunner. Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller, Black Swan, was also a leading contender, driven by Natalie Portman’s Oscar-winning performance.
They were nominated alongside acclaimed movies like Inception, True Grit, The Fighter, Toy Story 3, 127 Hours, The Kids Are All Right, and Winter’s Bone. But The King’s Speech won over Academy voters, and it took home four major Oscars that night.
8. 2018 – Guillermo del Toro Defeats Nolan, PTA, and Spielberg
A still from The Shape of Water | Credits: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Guillermo del Toro-directed The Shape of Water won Best Picture in 2018, and that’s a triumph in itself because the field was packed with acclaimed filmmakers that everyone adored. We had Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, Jordan Peele’s Get Out, Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird, and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread starring Daniel Day-Lewis.
Even Steven Spielberg joined the race with The Post. But del Toro’s dark fantasy romance emerged as the winner, and the line-up remains one of the most stacked ones of the modern era!
7. 2024 – Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer Wins Over Martin Scorsese’s Film
A still from Oppenheimer | Credits: Syncopy
Christopher Nolan’s film finally won an Oscar with Oppenheimer, and it defeated several acclaimed films. In the previous year, we famously had the Barbenheimer moment, and Barbie was also one of the nominees.
Martin Scorsese’s historical drama Killers of the Flower Moon also received enormous respect from critics. Other contenders like Poor Things, Anatomy of a Fall, and The Zone of Interest added more prestige to the lineup! But Oppenheimer dominated the ceremony, winning seven Oscars in total!
6. 2020 – Parasite Makes History Against Joker and Other Hollywood Movies
A still from Parasite | Credits: Barunson E&A
The competition at the 2020 Oscars was fierce, and the nominees included 1917, Joker, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Irishman, Little Women, Marriage Story, Jojo Rabbit, and Ford v Ferrari. Parasite was competing against known Hollywood icons, from directors to DC characters.
Yet, it still won and became the first non-English language film to take home the Best Picture award. Bong Joon Ho’s movie created a groundbreaking moment for global cinema, and its victory stunned everyone who had expected a traditional Hollywood movie to win.
5. 2001 – Gladiator vs Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
A still from Gladiator | Credits: DreamWorks Pictures
Ridley Scott’s Gladiator won at the 73rd Oscars, but the race was far from one-sided. Russell Crowe’s historical drama was competing against Ang Lee’s martial-arts masterpiece titled Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic and Erin Brockovich also had strong momentum during the season, with the director earning two Best Director nominations in the same year!
4. 1976 – Jack Nicholson’s Movie Secures Big 5 Against the Highest-Grossing Film
A still from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest | Credits: Fantasy Films
The lineup was incredibly amazing in 1976, and it featured five films that are still considered classics: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Jaws, Dog Day Afternoon, Barry Lyndon, and Nashville. Steven Spielberg’s horror thriller about a murderous shark became the first movie to reach $100 million at the domestic box office.
However, Jack Nicholson’s starrer One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest secured the Oscar win. It dominated the ceremony and achieved a rare feat of winning Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay. Apart from Nicholson’s film, only two other movies have managed to enter the big five club!
3. 1994 – Schindler’s List Wins Among the Highest Rated Features
A still from Schindler’s List | Credits: Amblin Entertainment
The 1993 Oscars brought the most critically acclaimed lineup of all time! From Schindler’s List, The Piano, The Remains of the Day, and In the Name of the Father, to The Fugitive, each film had amazing reviews and major nominations. The category was unusually competitive, but Schindler’s List was the frontrunner and won Best Picture, while other films also won in reputed categories.
2. 1995 – Forrest Gump Wins Over The Shawshank Redemption
A still from Forrest Gump | Credits: Paramount Pictures
Most movies from the 1995 Oscar race have become timeless classics. Among the many nominees, we had Quiz Show, Four Weddings, and Funeral, but the most impactful in the category were Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump, and Shawshank Redemption. Robert Zemeckis’ Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks, secured the victory and won 7 Academy Awards in total, even when the competition was lethal.
1. 2009 – No Country for Old Men vs. There Will Be Blood
A still from No Country for Old Men | Credits: Miramax Films
The 80th Academy Award had two cinematic heavyweights: No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. Other nominees were Atonement, Juno, and Michael Clayton, but it was the competition between Paul Thomas Anderson and the Coen brothers’ film that dominated the whole award season. In the end, No Country for Old Men won, but the debate never truly ended, and now, both movies are considered modern masterpieces!
Here’s an overview of the rankings:
YearWinnerRotten Tomatoes(Tomatometer)Other Nominees2017Moonlight98% La La Land, Arrival, Manchester by the Sea, Hidden Figures, Lion, Hacksaw Ridge, Fences, Hell or High Water2011The King’s Speech94% The Social Network, Black Swan, Inception, True Grit, The Fighter, Toy Story 3, 127 Hours, The Kids Are All Right, Winter’s Bone2018The Shape of Water92% Dunkirk, Get Out, Lady Bird, Phantom Thread, The Post, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Darkest Hour, Call Me by Your Name2024Oppenheimer93% Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon, Poor Things, Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest, The Holdovers, Past Lives, American Fiction, Maestro2020Parasite99% 1917, Joker, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Irishman, Little Women, Marriage Story, Jojo Rabbit, Ford v Ferrari2001Gladiator80% Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Traffic, Erin Brockovich, Chocolat1976One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest92% Jaws, Dog Day Afternoon, Barry Lyndon, Nashville1994Schindler’s List98% The Piano, The Remains of the Day, In the Name of the Father, The Fugitive1995Forrest Gump75% The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, Four Weddings and a Funeral2008No Country for Old Men93% There Will Be Blood, Atonement, Juno, Michael Clayton
1. Who are the frontrunners for Best Picture at the Oscars 2026?
One Battle After Another, Marty Supreme, and Sinners are the most favored titles for the Best Picture Academy Award in 2026.
2. How many total movies are nominated for Best Picture in 2026?
We have ten total nominations: Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, F1, Sinners, Hamnet, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Train Dreams, Bugonia, and Frankenstein.
3. Which movies have won the big 5 at the Oscars?
There are only three movies in the club: It Happened One Night, The Silence of the Lambs, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
These races weren’t about one movie dominating the season, but many extraordinary ones that pushed cinema forward. Now, we are going to see this cycle repeat with the Oscars 2026. The lineup is once again competitive, but there will only be one winner. So, who are you rooting for?
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