Oscars 2026: ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘Sinners’ dominate

The 98th Academy Awards delivered a night full of surprises, memorable speeches, and historic wins as two of Hollywood’s most anticipated films, “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners”, led the evening.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” emerged as the night’s big winner, taking home six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and the inaugural Best Casting award. Anderson, who earned his first Best Director Oscar, expressed gratitude in his acceptance speech: “Thank you very, very much. You make a guy work hard for one of these. I really appreciate it. I share this with a friend of mine on the other side of the shadows.”

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Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” also shone brightly, winning four awards out of its 16 nominations. The film secured Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score. Michael B Jordan, who received his first Oscar nomination this year, accepted the Best Actor award, reflecting on the trailblazing performers who came before him: “I stand here because of the people that came before me: Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith… Thank you for keeping betting on me.”

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Irish actress Jessie Buckley celebrated her first Academy Award for her portrayal of Shakespeare’s wife in “Hamnet”, winning Best Actress. Speaking from the stage, Buckley dedicated the award to “the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart” and acknowledged the lineage of women creating against all odds. She thanked her director Chloé Zhao and writer Maggie O’Farrell for their contributions to the film.

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Sean Penn earned his third Oscar, winning Best Supporting Actor for his role as an obsessed military officer in “One Battle After Another”. Known for occasionally skipping award ceremonies, Penn was not present at the Dolby Theatre to accept the honor, joining the ranks of male actors with three Oscars alongside Jack Nicholson, Walter Brennan, and Daniel Day-Lewis.

Animated powerhouse “KPop Demon Hunters” also made history, winning Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Golden”. The film’s accolades extended beyond the Oscars, including wins at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, PGA Awards, and ten Annie Awards, marking an unstoppable awards season streak.

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While the evening largely revolved around the three-way contest between “One Battle After Another”, “Sinners”, and Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein”, several high-profile films were snubbed. Timothée Chalamet’s “Marty Supreme” left empty-handed despite nine nominations, while “Hamnet” earned only the Best Actress award out of its eight nominations.

Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the director of photography for “Sinners”, has made history by becoming the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Cinematography. Of Filipino and African American Creole heritage, Arkapaw also marks the first woman of colour to receive this prestigious award.

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The ceremony also featured standout moments of solidarity and advocacy. Actor Javier Bardem, presenting Best International Feature Film, wore a “No to War” pin and declared, “No to war and Free Palestine”, drawing enthusiastic applause from the audience. The award went to the Norwegian film “Sentimental Value”.

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Host Conan O’Brien opened the show with his signature humor, joking that he was honored to be “the last human host” in an era where Hollywood frets over artificial intelligence taking jobs. Highlighting the global reach of the nominees, he noted that films hailed from 31 countries across six continents and encouraged viewers to celebrate resilience and hope in “frightening times.”

Beyond the trophies, the evening also revealed how cinema itself is evolving. From bold, director-driven storytelling to films influenced by global voices and genre-defying ideas, the 98th Academy Awards also showed the growing range of stories being told on screen. The night’s winners celebrated individual achievements while suggesting a future where diverse narratives and unconventional storytelling increasingly claim a stronger place on Hollywood’s biggest stage.

Here is the full winners list

Best picture

One Battle After Another

Best actress

Jessie Buckley - Hamnet

Best actor

WINNER: Michael B Jordan – Sinners

Best supporting actress

Amy Madigan – Weapons

Best supporting actor

Sean Penn - One Battle After Another

Best director

Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another

Best animated feature

KPop Demon Hunters

Best international feature

Sentimental Value

Best documentary feature

Mr Nobody Against Putin

Best original screenplay

Sinners - Ryan Coogler

Best adapted screenplay

One Battle After Another - Paul Thomas Anderson

Best original song

Golden - KPop Demon Hunters (by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park)

Best original score

Sinners - Ludwig Goransson

Best cinematography

Sinners - Autumn Durald Arkapaw

Best film editing

One Battle After Another - Andy Jurgensen

Best sound

F1 - Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A Rizzo and Juan Peralta

Best visual effects

Avatar: Fire and Ash - Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett

Best production design

Frankenstein - Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau

Best casting

One Battle After Another - Cassandra Kulukundis

Best make-up and hairstyling

Frankenstein - Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey

Best costume design

Frankenstein - Kate Hawley

Best animated short

The Girl Who Cried Pearls

Best live action short

WINNER (TIED): The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva

Best documentary short

All the Empty Rooms