Oscars 2026 Best Supporting Actress: Will Gladys Have the Academy Under Her Spell?

Megan McLachlan takes a look at the wide open Oscars 2026 Best Supporting Actress race and why Amy Madigan is at the top of the list.

Remember when everyone laughed that there was NO WAY Amy Madigan would still be in the awards conversation in a couple of months?

Well, it’s almost two months after Weapons, and not only is Gladys’s image still all over social media (look for her to be everywhere this Halloween), but she’s still one of the best supporting acting contenders so far this year.

Why, Megan? Because it’s a memorable character. Really, Megan? She’s managed to stay in the zeitgeist (some people think she’s an Etsy witch). Plus, Madigan is pretty effing brilliant in the role. Also, her final scene feels incredibly powerful in a time when children are used as sacrificial lambs in our volatile political climate.

But it’s early yet for Madigan. She has a long way to go before she gets the nomination. For right now, though, she’s still one of the most memorable supporting performances of the year.

Coming out of Venice, Telluride, and TIFF, we’ve seen a lot of Best Actor/Actress contenders, but not many talked-about supporting turns, except for the ladies of Sentimental Value, including Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas. In fact, it’s the non-festival films that are buzzing with interesting, smaller performances, like Teyana Taylor and Regina Hall in One Battle After Another and Wunmi Mosaku in Sinners.

Here’s a look at where we stand in the Oscars 2026 Best Supporting Actress race.

1. Amy Madigan, Weapons

Amy Madigan is in the top spot right now. Coming off a blockbuster and the trend of body horror performances (Elizabeth Sparkle paved the way for Gladys), Madigan feels poised to stay in the conversation. It’s campy and classic. She really disappears in this role, and Hollywood loves a comeback (she was last nominated 40 years ago for Twice in a Lifetime).

2. Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners

The other blockbuster from this year. For as kooky as Gladys is with her spells, Mosaku’s Annie isn’t. She’s attuned to the spiritual world and doesn’t abuse it. Wouldn’t it be cool if two witches got nominated — a bad witch and a good witch — and it wasn’t even Wicked!?

3. Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

Two years ago, Taylor received a lot of attention for A Thousand and One, and now armed with Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul Thomas Anderson, and another buzzy performance, she could break through this time.

4. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value

In a cast where everyone’s bringing their A game — including Stellan Skarsgard — to stand out is a real feat. Ibsdotter does that, becoming the backbone of the family and the film. I don’t know how you don’t walk away from Sentimental Value not thinking about that lovely performance.

5. Glenn Close, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

“If she won for this, I wouldn’t be mad about it.” That’s what Contending co-founder Joey Moser said after seeing Rian Johnson’s latest murder mystery — and then a lot of people on social media echoed this sentiment. Could the Academy follow suit? You can never count her out. She’s the woman who defined the “overdue” narrative.

Of course, these picks are fluid, and there are many more movies with supporting actresses to come. Here’s a look at who could crash the party.

Crashing the Best Supporting Actress Race Soon

Jennifer Lopez, Kiss of the Spider Woman

On October 10, we’ll finally find out what a collaboration between director Bill Condon and Jennifer Lopez looks like. While last year at this time, people were hating on J.Lo, especially on social media, a lot of them have been coming to her defense lately, especially when the Spider Woman clip circulated with her singing (well!).

Ariana Grande, Wicked: For Good

Ariana Grande could join Cate Blanchett as the second actress nominated for the same role in different movies (Blanchett was nominated for Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age). Clearly, it’s rare for the same performance to strike lightning twice. Can Grande do it?

Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value

Fanning turns in consistently solid supporting work, like in last year’s A Complete Unknown — where she’s the heart of the film — and while it’s not as showy as Ibsdotter Lilleaas’s role, she could make it in based on being snubbed last year.

Emily Blunt, The Smashing Machine

Reviews have been mixed for Benny Safdie’s biopic of MMA fighter Mark Kerr, but still hot off her Oppenheimer nomination from two years ago, Emily Blunt could slide in under the ropes. The only thing is how many times have we seen the boxing girlfriend character before?

Gwyneth Paltrow, Marty Supreme

Where Benny Safdie’s movie tackles MMA fighting, Josh Safdie’s follows the art of table tennis. Can you believe Gwyneth Paltrow has only been nominated at the Oscars once? That’s it! One and done — or maybe not. I hope she thanks her “dear friend, Ben Affleck” in her speech — in front of J.Lo!

Rebecca Ferguson, A House of Dynamite

Ferguson has flown under the radar while showing up in some of the most popular movies of the last 10 years (Dune, The Greatest Showman). Pairing with Kathryn Bigelow could be the spark to get her into the awards race. It worked for Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty!

I’m sure I’m missing actresses, and I’m sure I’ll hear about it. Let’s talk in the comments!