Hispanic talent in the running for the Oscar in 2026

The 98th Academy Awards will be held on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, a gala that will once again bring together the most influential figures in world cinema.

Among this year's nominees are several Hispanic talents competing in key categories, from acting and directing to sound, animation and technical areas. Their presence confirms the region's growing weight in the international film industry.

Guillermo del Toro leads the Mexican presence

One of the most prominent names is that of Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who returns to the race for the Oscars with his ambitious adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel, "Frankenstein."

The film competes for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture, categories in which Del Toro participates as screenwriter and producer. The director, a previous statuette winner for "The Shape of Water" and Guillermo del Toro's "Pinocchio," could thus extend his Academy Award record.

The film also adds other nominations, including Best Supporting Actor for Jacob Elordi and Best Cinematography for Dan Laustsen.

Benicio del Toro returns to acting competition

In the acting field, Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro is among the candidates for Best Supporting Actor for his work in "One Battle After Another," directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

In this production he shares the screen with Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn, who are also among the nominees in the category.

Del Toro previously won the Oscar for his performance in "Traffic," directed by Steven Soderbergh.

The film also adds a Latin presence in its creative team with Argentine-born production designer Florencia Martin, nominated in her category.

Latin America also shines in animation

The field of animation once again has Latin American participation.

Mexican production company Nidia Santiago is nominated for the animated film "Little Amélie or the Character of Rain," directed by Liane-Cho Han and Maïlys Vallade, which competes in the Best Animated Feature category.

Also standing out in the same area is animator and director of Mexican descent Adrian Molina, known for co-directing "Coco." Molina is now participating with the film "Elio," a Pixar production centered on the story of a space-obsessed boy who ends up involved in an intergalactic adventure.

Another key figure is producer Yvett Merino, of Mexican parents, a member of the "Zootopia 2" team. Merino previously won an Oscar for "Encanto" and has worked on productions such as "Moana," "Frozen II," "Raya and the Last Dragon and Wish."

Latin presence in documentary and sound

Appearing in the Best Documentary Short Film category is Colombian-American photographer Juan Arredondo for "Armed only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud," a production that chronicles the life of journalist Brent Renaud, who died while covering the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

In the technical section of Best Sound, Mexican José Antonio García competes for his work in "One Battle After Another." This is his third nomination, after having participated in productions such as "Argo" and "Roma."

For his part, Costa Rican Felipe Pacheco is nominated for the musical edition of "Sinners," directed by Ryan Coogler.

Brazil also enters the race

Although Brazil belongs to the Latin American rather than the Hispanic sphere, its presence is also noticeable this year.

Actor Wagner Moura is nominated for Best Actor for "The Secret Agent," directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho. The film also competes in Best International Film and previously won a Golden Globe Awards.

In addition, Brazilian Gabriel Domingues competes in Best Casting for the same production, while his compatriot Adolpho Veloso is nominated for Best Cinematography for "Train Dreams."