Road to the Oscars 2026: ‘Hamnet’ director Chloé Zhao says awards recognition is ‘an amazing feeling’

March 12, 2026

Director Chloé Zhao with actors Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley on the set of their film, ‘Hamnet.’ (Agata Grzybowska/Focus Features)

Chloé Zhao has been through the awards circuit before, winning the best picture and best director Oscars in 2021 for Nomadland. Now, she’s up for three Oscars for Hamnet: best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay alongside author Maggie O’Farrell.

Hamnet, an emotional drama about how love and loss in William Shakespeare’s (Paul Mescal) personal life helped shape his enduring classic Hamlet, scored eight nods overall — including projected favorite Jessie Buckley for best actress.

Zhao tells ABC Audio awards recognition is validating as a storyteller who just wants to be seen and heard.

“When it comes to awards or things like that, and this gathering of people celebrating your work, there is an element of that — of feeling validated, of feeling seen,” she says. “And of course, you need to be careful of how far you’re gonna allow that to be the only source of validation.”

“But I’m not cynical about it,” she adds, “because to be seen and celebrated and validated by your peers, which is very much a found family for me, is an amazing feeling.”

Equally as important to Zhao has been the audience’s emotional response to the film.

“It feels like a relief, first and foremost, because we were feeling so much every day,” she says. “Even when the cameras aren’t rolling, we were feeling so much for each other and learning about ourselves. So, it would kind of suck if no one else is feeling that way but us.”

The 2026 Oscars will air on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on ABC.