2026 Oscars Class Photo: Can you spot the tallest nominee – the camouflaged Dean Warren? | Oscars

AAs you all know, the Oscars aren’t particularly fun. It’s a long-running celebration of unseen films set in a room where, by the end of the evening, the bulk of those in attendance are told they’re not good enough to win anything. The whole thing is painful.

But do you know what’s much better than the Oscars? Annual Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon. This is the time when everyone who has been nominated gets together for a nice lunch. It’s not televised, so no one has to be on their best behavior. No prizes are given out, so technically all invitees are equal. Best of all, they take a class photo of everyone at the end.

This is great because not only does it serve as a snapshot of the good and great of any given year, but because it’s truly impossible for multiple people to look completely normal at the same moment in time. With that in mind, here are the 2026 Annual Academy Awards Luncheon photo awards.

Largest showboats – Guillermo del Toro (front, center)

When you look at the Oscars, your eye is immediately drawn to the middle of the front row. This is usually because this is where the greatest concentration of A-list talent pools takes place. This year, however, it’s because Frankenstein Award nominee Guillermo del Toro decided to act like a goofy host at a wedding. Look at everyone else in the picture and you’ll see hundreds of people unsure of what to do with their hands. But not del Toro, because he chose to rock them maniacally like a 1920s showgirl. It gives the effect that this is del Toro’s party and everyone else is just a guest. Please also note that Paul Thomas Anderson appears to be holding him back, in case he lunges at the photographer.

Giant of a Man – Oliver Lax (back row, 10th from left)

As is customary in a group shot, all the tall people are pushed back so that they don’t accidentally end up blocking a famous actor with their massive shoulders. This year, the back row included Josef Kosinski, Stellan Skarsgard (both about 6 feet 3 inches) and Jacob Elordi (about 6 feet 5 inches). It was assumed that Elordi, a real giraffe in the little world of Hollywood, would be the tallest person at the luncheon. But then director Oliver Lax walked in on Sairat, who must be at least eight feet tall. Lax is so unstoppably huge that he draws focus from everyone except del Toro. If he is nominated again next year, please let’s start a petition to hang all the other nominees from his massive frame like a human mug tree.

Best Disguise – Diane Warren (third row from back, second from left)

As someone who has dedicated her life to writing very good songs for forgettable films just so she can attend the Oscars, you’re concerned that the Oscars luncheon is one of the only times Diane Warren actually leaves the house. Often times, she makes the most of this by wearing bold outfits. But the year she was nominated for Dear Me, from Diane Warren: Relentless, the documentary about her life, she changed her tactic: becoming more muted, her hair and clothes blending in with the candidates around her. She’s also a bit too short to stand out, so much so that the average person could easily be convinced that she’s trying to hide from the photographer. This won’t work. When she’s inevitably nominated again next year, let’s hope she opts for a big yellow feather hat as a counterweight.

The Most Comfortable Feeling of Self-Worth – Ron Deans (third row from back, third from left)

There are several stages to discovering Ron Deans in the classroom image. The first is where you notice that while everyone else is fully clothed, he’s wearing a cat t-shirt. The second is where you realize that the cat on his shirt is the cat from the movie Flow, which won Best Animated Feature last year. The third and final stage is where you realize that Dyens produced Flow, wait a minute. He got a nod this year for the animated short “Butterfly,” and he literally came to the Oscar nominee luncheon carrying proof that he actually won an Oscar. Honestly man’s testicles. Hopefully this will set a new precedent as next year Leonardo DiCaprio comes dressed as the guy from The Revenant.

The Strangest Guardian Photo Audition – Ronald Bronstein (back row, 11th from right)

The co-writer of Uncut Gems and Good Time, and this year’s Marty Supreme Award nominee, Ronald Bronstein will forever be held in the greatest respect. However, it must be said that he spent the duration of the Oscar nominees luncheon photo shoot completely standing — and I mean exactly – in the same way as Guardian journalists do when they take a souvenir photo. He is dressed more elegantly than usual. He uses an expression that tries to be serious, curious, and cheerful at the same time (because you can’t predict the tone of the pieces you’ll write in the future). Most important of all, he stands sideways while turning his head toward the camera. This is it Exactly how they make us do it at work! They have blueprints and everything! Honestly, it could be Raphael Bear, Simon Jenkins or Polly Toynbee. The bigger question is why does he do this? Is it an honor? Is he taking the piss? Is he coming for our jobs? We need to know.