Well, they actually did it. After what felt like a lifetime of nominations and “he’s too auteur for the Academy” whispers, Paul Thomas Anderson finally swept the board at the 98th Academy Awards. If you missed the broadcast—which, let’s be honest, ran a little long at nearly four hours—it was a night of long-overdue coronations, historic firsts for women behind the camera, and a weirdly charming opening monologue by Conan O’Brien involving a prosthetic face and a lot of jokes about AI taking his job.
The ceremony, held on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre, felt like a turning point for the industry. We saw a mix of massive blockbusters like Avatar: Fire and Ash taking home technical gold, while an intimate, three-hour epic called One Battle After Another proved that the Academy still has a massive soft spot for old-school cinematic craft.
The Big Winner: One Battle After Another
Going into the night, all eyes were on the “heavyweight” bout between Ryan Coogler’s Sinners (which had a staggering 16 nominations) and PTA’s One Battle After Another. By the end of the night, it was clear who the Academy chose to favor. One Battle After Another clinched six Oscars, including the big three: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Paul Thomas Anderson, who had been nominated 14 times before this year without a single win, looked genuinely shocked—or maybe just ready for a drink. During his speech for Best Adapted Screenplay (based on Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland), he joked, “You really make a guy work for this, don’t you?” He later dedicated the film to his kids, apologizing for the “housekeeping mess” the older generations are leaving behind. It was a poignant moment in a night that mostly felt like a party.
The Acting Categories: Firsts and Milestones
The acting awards were a blend of “it’s about time” and “wow, she really did that.”
Michael B. Jordan finally secured his first Oscar for Best Actor for his dual role in Sinners. His speech was easily the most emotional of the night. He gave a shoutout to his father, who flew in all the way from Ghana, and promised to “keep stepping up” for actors of color. It was a well-deserved win against some stiff competition, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet.
In the Best Actress category, Jessie Buckley made history as the first Irish performer to win the award for her role as Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet. She has been the frontrunner all season, but seeing her actually hold that statue was a highlight. Her performance was one of those “once-in-a-decade” turns that everyone just knew was the winner from the first trailer.
The supporting categories were just as notable:
- Best Supporting Actor: Sean Penn won his third Oscar for One Battle After Another. He wasn’t actually there to accept it, which is very Sean Penn, leaving the audience with a bit of a “wait, is he coming?” moment before the presenters moved on.
- Best Supporting Actress: This went to the 75-year-old Amy Madigan for the horror-thriller Weapons. It was a huge “justice” win—she was last nominated 40 years ago! She was so excited she practically ran onto the stage, thanking director Zach Cregger for giving her a role she could “grab by the throat.”
Making History Behind the Lens
One of the loudest cheers of the night came when Autumn Durald Arkapaw won for Best Cinematography for Sinners. She became the first woman ever to win in this category in the 98-year history of the Oscars. It’s wild it took that long, but her work on Coogler’s Jim Crow-era vampire tale was undeniably breathtaking.
Full List of Winners: 98th Academy Awards (2026)
If you just want the raw data, here is the complete breakdown of who took home the gold:
| Category | Winner | Film |
| Best Picture | — | One Battle After Another |
| Best Director | Paul Thomas Anderson | One Battle After Another |
| Best Actor | Michael B. Jordan | Sinners |
| Best Actress | Jessie Buckley | Hamnet |
| Best Supporting Actor | Sean Penn | One Battle After Another |
| Best Supporting Actress | Amy Madigan | Weapons |
| Best Original Screenplay | Ryan Coogler | Sinners |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Paul Thomas Anderson | One Battle After Another |
| Best Animated Feature | — | KPop Demon Hunters |
| Best International Feature | — | Sentimental Value (Norway) |
| Best Documentary Feature | — | Mr. Nobody Against Putin |
| Best Cinematography | Autumn Durald Arkapaw | Sinners |
| Best Film Editing | Andy Jurgensen | One Battle After Another |
| Best Production Design | Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau | Frankenstein |
| Best Costume Design | Kate Hawley | Frankenstein |
| Best Makeup & Hairstyling | Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey | Frankenstein |
| Best Original Score | Ludwig Göransson | Sinners |
| Best Original Song | “Golden” | KPop Demon Hunters |
| Best Sound | — | F1 |
| Best Visual Effects | — | Avatar: Fire and Ash |
| Best Casting | Cassandra Kulukundis | One Battle After Another |
| Best Animated Short | — | The Girl Who Cried Pearls |
| Best Live Action Short | TIE | The Singers & Two People Exchanging Saliva |
| Best Documentary Short | — | All the Empty Rooms |
Highlights and Viral Moments
1. The Debut of “Best Casting”
For the first time in history, the Academy gave out an award for Casting. It was only fitting that Cassandra Kulukundis won it for One Battle After Another, given her long history with PTA. She actually beat him to the stage by a few minutes, which was a fun bit of trivia for the night.
2. Netflix’s Big Win
KPop Demon Hunters proved that streaming is still a powerhouse. Not only did it win Best Animated Feature, but its hit song “Golden” took home Best Original Song. The performance during the show was electric—definitely the most high-energy moment of the telecast.
3. The “In Memoriam” Segment
This year’s tribute was particularly heavy, honoring icons like Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, and Rob Reiner. Barbra Streisand gave a beautiful introduction for Redford, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
4. Conan’s Opening
Conan O’Brien returned as host and really leaned into the “old man in Hollywood” persona. His opening bit featured him digitally inserted into the nominated films—playing table tennis against Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme and running through the fields in Hamnet. He also took some sharp jabs at AI, calling himself the “last human host” before a Waymo takes over next year.
Final Thoughts
The 2026 Oscars will likely be remembered as the year the Academy finally “made things right” with Paul Thomas Anderson. While Sinners may have had the most nominations, the night belonged to the sprawling, complicated world of One Battle After Another.