Jeremy Allen White is emerging as one of this year’s biggest Oscar frontrunners, with his portrayal of Bruce Springsteen in Deliver Me From Nowhere drawing rave reviews and early awards chatter. The Los Angeles Times has ranked him joint first in its latest BuzzMeter predictions — a long-running Oscar forecasting tradition where a panel of critics votes on the season’s strongest contenders.
The film, directed by Scott Cooper, follows Springsteen during the creation of his 1982 album Nebraska — a raw, stripped-back record that captured the isolation and grit of working-class America. White, best known for his role as Carmy in The Bear, plays the singer at one of the most vulnerable points of his life.
Speaking recently about the transformation, White said he pushed himself to match Springsteen’s intensity: “Every painstaking note I sang to perfect Bruce’s rasping tone made me certain who was The Boss.” The actor reportedly learned to sing and play guitar from scratch for the role, spending months studying Springsteen’s early performances and posture.
Springsteen has personally praised White’s performance, calling it “wonderful” and joking that the actor played “a much better looking version of me.” He added, “Jeremy put his whole heart and soul into the part.”
The film debuted at the Telluride Film Festival in late August, where critics hailed it as one of the breakout titles of the season. Many have singled out a tense therapy scene as the film’s defining moment — one likely to be shown on Oscar night should White land a nomination.
Deliver Me From Nowhere co-stars Jeremy Strong as Springsteen’s manager Jon Landau, with Stephen Graham, Odessa Young, and Marc Maron in supporting roles. It’s adapted from Warren Zanes’s book Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska and is due for release on October 24th.
The Los Angeles Times BuzzMeter, made up of six veteran film journalists, has released its first round of predictions ahead of the 2026 Oscars, set for March 15th. White ties at the top of the Best Actor list alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, who stars in One Battle After Another.
The panel will update its lists three more times as awards season unfolds, but the first round already paints a strong picture of early favourites.
In the Best Actor race, the Los Angeles Times BuzzMeter currently places Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeremy Allen White neck and neck at the top. DiCaprio’s performance in One Battle After Another and White’s turn as Bruce Springsteen in Deliver Me From Nowhere are emerging as the two early favourites. Just behind them is Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, followed by George Clooney for Jay Kelly, while Dwayne Johnson (The Smashing Machine) and Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) are tied in fifth place.
The Best Actress category is shaping up to be equally competitive. Emma Stone continues her strong awards streak with Bugonia, Amanda Seyfried earns recognition for The Testament of Ann Lee, and Cynthia Erivo appears on the list for her role in Wicked: For Good, the cinematic follow-up to the beloved stage musical.
For Best Director, Paul Thomas Anderson leads the pack for One Battle After Another, while Kathryn Bigelow and Ryan Coogler share second place for A House of Dynamite and Sinners, respectively. Also drawing attention are Chloé Zhao for Hamnet and Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident, rounding out a field dominated by past Oscar winners and festival favourites.
Finally, in the coveted Best Picture category, One Battle After Another sits in first place, closely followed by Hamnet, Sinners, A House of Dynamite, and Jay Kelly. Sentimental Value ranks sixth, while Marty Supreme and Wicked: For Good are currently tied in seventh — a diverse mix of prestige dramas, biopics, and ambitious studio projects that will define the road to the 2026 Oscars.
As awards season begins to take shape, Jeremy Allen White’s performance as The Boss is shaping up as one of its defining stories — a career-making turn that could carry him all the way to the Dolby Theatre next spring.
