'You Can See Everything' Eyes Historic Third Documentary Editing Nod

Only two documentaries have ever been nominated for the film editing Oscar — "Woodstock" (1970) and "Hoop Dreams" (1994). Adam Locke-Norton's box-office smash "You Can See Everything" is now positioned to become the third, according to Variety's official predictions updated Nov. 12, 2026, curated by chief awards editor Clayton Davis.

The early race, though, belongs to past winners. Jennifer Lame, who won for "Oppenheimer," leads with "The Odyssey." Joe Walker follows for the still-unseen "Dune: Part Three" — he won for "Dune" and collected nominations for "12 Years a Slave" and "Arrival."

Close behind is Mikkel E.G. Nielsen, an Oscar winner for "Sound of Metal" and a nominee for "The Banshees of Inisherin," now reuniting with director Martin McDonagh on "Wild Horse Nine."

Who else is in contention?

Variety's ranked early favorites also include:

• Yorgos Mavropsaridis, a two-time nominee for "The Favourite" and "Poor Things," editing "The Invite"
• Anthony Boys, who would be a first-time nominee, also on "The Invite"
• Adam Locke-Norton, whose three-hour nonfiction epic "You Can See Everything" became a box-office hit

The billion-dollar biopic "Michael" sits on the cusp with a heavyweight editing team: past winners John Ottman ("Bohemian Rhapsody"), Tom Cross ("Whiplash") and Conrad Buff IV ("Titanic"), plus "Minari" nominee Harry Yoon.

A cluster of potential first-time nominees rounds out the conversation: Alberto Gutiérrez ("La Bola Negra"), Joel Negron ("Project Hail Mary"), Sam Seig ("I Play Rocky"), Fin Oates ("Ink") and Curry Barker ("Obsession").

What does this change for documentaries?

Editing is one of the few categories where nonfiction films almost never break through, because the branch tends to reward narrative craft at scale. If Locke-Norton lands the nomination, he'd join a club of exactly two precedents spanning five decades — a signal that a three-hour documentary with mainstream box-office reach can now compete on the same ballot as tentpole franchises.

The road to the 99th Oscars

The calendar is already set. The Governors Awards, honoring Glenn Close and Ridley Scott with honorary Oscars, take place Sunday, Nov. 15. Preliminary voting for the Oscars shortlist in 12 categories runs Dec. 7–11, with the shortlist announcement on Tuesday, Dec. 15.

The eligibility period closes Dec. 31, 2026. Nominations voting runs Jan. 11–15, 2027, and the official nominations arrive Thursday, Jan. 21, 2027.

Conan O'Brien hosts the 99th Oscars on Sunday, March 14, 2027, airing live at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

Variety notes its prediction pages reflect current standings, not personal preferences, and that competitions shift with buzz and events — updates land every Thursday. With "Dune: Part Three" still unseen, this particular ranking has more room to move than most.