The 98th Academy Awards Recap
Hollywood’s biggest night returned on Sunday, March 15, 2026, as the 98th Academy Awards took place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Hosted by Conan O’Brien for the second consecutive year, the three-hour-and-forty-four-minute ceremony celebrated the best films of 2025 with humor, heartfelt tributes, and a handful of groundbreaking milestones. While viewership dipped to 17.86 million (down 9% from the previous year), the evening was defined by Paul Thomas Anderson’s sweeping epic One Battle After Another, which claimed the top prize and six awards total, cementing its status as the season’s undeniable champion.
Anderson’s film — an ambitious adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland centered on a retired revolutionary protecting his family — walked away with Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Sean Penn), Best Film Editing, and the brand-new Best Casting award (the first new competitive category since Best Animated Feature in 2001). Anderson, long considered one of the most acclaimed directors without a competitive Oscar win, took home three statues in a single night.
Close behind was Ryan Coogler’s supernatural thriller Sinners, which entered the evening with a record-breaking 16 nominations (the most ever for a single film) and secured four wins. Michael B. Jordan delivered a career-defining dual performance as twin brothers in the vampire musical, earning his first Oscar for Best Actor. Coogler also won Best Original Screenplay, while the film claimed Best Original Score (Ludwig Göransson) and Best Cinematography — the latter making Autumn Durald Arkapaw the first woman of color to win in that category.
Jessie Buckley became the first Irish actress to win Best Actress for her portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet. Supporting honors went to Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) and Amy Madigan (Weapons), with Madigan ending a remarkable 40-year gap between her Oscar nominations.
Other notable victories included KPop Demon Hunters taking Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (“Golden”), Frankenstein sweeping three technical categories (Production Design, Costume Design, and Makeup and Hairstyling), and Norway’s Sentimental Value becoming the first Norwegian film to win Best International Feature. A rare tie occurred in Best Live Action Short Film between The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva — only the seventh tie in Oscar history.
The ceremony featured Conan O’Brien’s signature wit, including subtle political jabs, an extended In Memoriam segment honoring legends like Rob Reiner and Robert Redford, and standout performances. New security measures were in place amid global tensions, but the focus remained on cinema’s power to unite and inspire. Producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan, along with director Hamish Hamilton, delivered a visually stunning show themed around “humanity.”
Complete List of Winners
Best Picture: One Battle After Another (producers: Adam Somner [posthumous], Sara Murphy, Paul Thomas Anderson)
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Amy Madigan (Weapons)
Best Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another, based on the novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon)
Best Animated Feature Film: KPop Demon Hunters
Best International Feature Film: Sentimental Value (Norway)
Best Documentary Feature Film: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Best Documentary Short Film: All the Empty Rooms
Best Live Action Short Film: The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva (tie)
Best Animated Short Film: The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Best Original Song: “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters
Best Original Score: Ludwig Göransson (Sinners)
Best Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw (Sinners)
Best Film Editing: Andy Jurgensen (One Battle After Another)
Best Production Design: Frankenstein (Tamara Deverell; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau)
Best Costume Design: Frankenstein (Kate Hawley)
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Frankenstein (Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey)
Best Sound: F1
Best Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash
Best Casting (new category): Cassandra Kulukundis (One Battle After Another)
The 98th Oscars will be remembered as a night when veteran filmmakers like Anderson and Coogler shared the spotlight with historic barriers broken and fresh voices celebrated. As the industry looks ahead to 2027, one thing is clear: the power of bold storytelling once again reigned supreme on Hollywood’s biggest stage.
Photo Credit: The Academy