Anonymous Ballot: Costume Designer Favors ‘One Battle After Another’ and Rose Byrne, Never Saw ‘F1’ and ‘Can’t Stand’ Yorgos Lanthimos

With final Oscar balloting closed on March 5,  we’re running our ninth annual series of anonymous  interviews with Academy voters from different branches for their unfiltered takes on what got picked, overlooked, and overvalued in the 2026 award season. Voters’ picks are in bold. Interview edited for brevity.

This costume designer voted the “One Battle After Another” ticket, and also selected winners in several categories without having seen every entry, despite the first-ever Academy ballot demanding you check a box that you’ve seen each film in a category. Old habits die hard: This member was accustomed to voting in every category, no matter how many films they’d seen: “I saw probably 40 films this year. This is the first time they’ve done this thing, right? I felt I was allowed because of what I had seen; that was my justification.”

Best Picture: “One Battle After Another.” That was my number one. It’s been a pretty slim year, frankly, except for the international films, which have been outstanding. [Then] “Marty Supreme,” “Train Dreams,” “Sinners” — I’m not a big horror movie person, but it was clever — “Sentimental Value,” “Secret Agent,” “Frankenstein” — I appreciated the way it was made, visually and everything; it was a bit much for me. I was disappointed in “Hamnet” because I love the book. This was such a narrow vision of the book, [which] gave you this whole world that they lived in. And this was so focused on the two of them. “F1” — you have to fill out the 10. Otherwise, it doesn’t work. “F1” I didn’t see, to be honest. [My partner] saw it, thought it was crap. And I can’t stand Yorgos Lanthimos, so “Bugonia” gets 10. I would have voted for six.

Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another.”

Best Actress: Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” She was brilliant. Kate Hudson gave a terrific performance in “Song Sung Blue.”

Rose Byrne at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes held at The Beverly Hilton on January 11, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California.Christopher Polk/2026GG/Penske Media

Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another.” Timothée Chalamet was brilliant in “Marty Supreme.” He is young. It was a toggle between them.

Supporting Actor: Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another.“ I liked [Stellan] Skarsgård [“Sentimental Value”]. I thought he was great. But Sean Penn was so out there and insane. It was over the top, that film. And I enjoyed that. I thought he was amazing. And broad, extreme.

Supporting Actress: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, “Sentimental Value.” She gave an incredibly nuanced performance.

Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another.” Who knows what it was adapted from? Nobody’s read [Thomas Pynchon’s “Vineland”].

Original Screenplay: “It Was Just an Accident.” That was probably my top film of the year. What was genius about that film was the humor in it. And I’m not sure that everybody got that…the whole absurdity of the situation that nobody knows what the fuck they’re doing. It’s an interesting idea of what to do when the people that tortured you are out there, and you have a possibility of interaction with them.

Casting: “One Battle After Another.”

Cinematography: “Frankenstein,” because it’s so beautiful, but then afterwards I wished I’d given it to “Train Dreams” when I heard the cinematographer talk about all the natural lighting.

Costume Design: “Frankenstein,” pretty amazing, right? They fucking wove the cloth, and it looks like it. Everything glimmered and shone and moved in a way that you can’t get fabrics to do these days. And it was unique what [Kate Hawley] did. They had a little “Avatar: Fire and Ash” exhibit at Disney of Deborah Scott’s stuff. That was pretty fabulous, seeing it in the flesh. “Sinners” was gorgeous in terms of costumes, but Ruth Carter has won already a few times. So let’s give it to someone else.

‘Frankenstein’©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection

Film Editing: “Marty Supreme.” I’m sure “F1” was great, if I could have stood to watch it, but all those table tennis shots were incredible. You felt like you were right there, standing at the table. It was clever the way that was all done.

Makeup and Hair Styling: “Kokuho.” I watched “The Smashing Machine,” and that was a contender. I did not see “The Ugly Stepsister.” I did not go to the bakeoff.

Production Designer: “Sinners.” There are certain films that deserve Oscars. And “Sinners” does. So I voted for it in other categories.

Original Score: “Sinners.”

Song: “Train Dreams.”

Sound: “Sinners.”

Visual Effects: “Sinners.”

Animated Feature: “Zootopia 2.” “KPop Demon Hunters” was fun. I voted for “Zootopia” because the grandchildren liked that. I didn’t see “Arco” and the beginning of “Elio.” I did not see “Little Amélie.” After you’ve watched 40 films, I don’t think it makes your choices invalid. I really don’t. One does the best. If you were to watch everything, I don’t know how many films that would be on the final ballot.

Documentary: “The Perfect Neighbor.” That was an outstanding category, each one more heartbreaking than the rest. The craft of making that film from that footage was mind-blowing. And telling a gripping, poignant, heartbreaking story through that footage and some interviews was outstanding.

Documentary Short: “The Devil Is Busy.” I voted for [Geeta Gandbhir]’s documentary short as well.

Live Action Short: “Singers.” That was lovely. I liked “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” so clever.

Animated Short: “Retirement Plan.” “The Three Sisters” was beautiful.

International Feature Film: “It Was Just an Accident.” “Sirāt” was fantastic; that was a close second.