In May 2025, Academy president
Fernando Méndez-Leite announced Barcelona as the host city. In July 2025 the Academy presented the regulations for the 2026 awards. A key feature was the modification of the eligibility criteria for the
Goya Award for Best New Director, changing the nature of the debut work from first
ICAA-assessed feature film to first feature film released in theatres, thus enabling directors such as Eva Libertad (
Deaf) with previous works without theatrical distribution (
Nikolina) to be eligible for the award. In addition it was established than only one previously designated awardee was allowed to deliver a thank you speech during the gala for each award presentation. On 21 October 2025, the Spanish Film Academy presented the 15 submissions (down from 17 in 2025) for the
Goya Award for Best Ibero-American Film:
Under the Flags, the Sun (Paraguay),
Banzo (Portugal),
Belén (Argentina),
Quadrilateral (Peru),
El extraordinario viaje del dragón (Venezuela),
The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo (Chile),
La piel del agua (Costa Rica),
La Virginia de los bolivianos (Bolivia),
Los ahogados (Ecuador),
Manas (Brazil),
We Shall Not Be Moved (Mexico),
A Poet (Colombia),
Dogs (Uruguay),
Beloved Tropic (Panama), and
Sugar Island (Dominican Republic). On 28 October 2025, Méndez-Leite announced
Luis Tosar and
Rigoberta Bandini as the gala hosts. On 2 December 2025, the Spanish Film Academy presented the 18 submissions for the
Goya Award for Best European Film:
Hollywoodgate and
September 5 (Germany),
Arco and
A Simple Accident (France);
The Love That Remains and
The Mountain (Iceland);
The Boy with Pink Pants and
Naples to New York (Italy);
Poison and ''
(Luxembourg), I Only Rest in the Storm and On Falling (Portugal), Young Mothers (Belgium), Fiume o morte! (Croatia), The Girl with the Needle (Denmark), Sentimental Value (Norway), Conclave (United Kingdom), and Late Shift'' (Switzerland). The nominations were read by
Toni Acosta and
Arturo Valls from the academy headquarters on 13 January 2026. Musical performances by
Belén Aguilera,
Bad Gyal,
Dani Fernández,
La Casa Azul,
Ana Mena,
Alba Molina, and Ángeles Toledano as well as by the co-host
Rigoberta Bandini were announced ahead of the ceremony. The linear television broadcast on
La 1 commanded 2,396,000 viewers (26% audience share). == Winners and nominees ==