Entertainment

Oscars 2026: From ‘Sinners’ to ‘One battle after another,’ here are the night’s big winners

“One Battle After Another” leads the 2026 Oscars, while Michael B. Jordan, Jessie Buckley, and a host of standout films take home Hollywood’s top honors in a night of wins, surprises, and unforgettable moments.

Hannah Xuchille Egot March 21, 2026

Jessie Buckley (L), Michael B. Jordan, and Amy Madigan (R) are three of the night’s top winners. Image source: Academy Awards

The 98th Academy Awards brought the 2026 awards season to a close in Hollywood, with the organization honoring last year’s biggest achievements in film at the Dolby Theatre.

Leading the night was One Battle After Another, which emerged as the biggest winner, taking home the Best Picture along with multiple major awards. Paul Thomas Anderson won Best Director for the film, which also secured Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, and the newly introduced Best Casting award for Cassandra Kulukundis. Sean Penn earned Best Supporting Actor for his role in the same film, further cementing its dominance.

Record nominations

Another standout was Sinners, which entered the night with a record-breaking 16 nominations and ultimately won four awards. Michael B. Jordan claimed Best Actor for his performance, while Ryan Coogler won Best Original Screenplay. The film also picked up awards for cinematography and original score, reinforcing its critical and technical acclaim.

In the acting categories, Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for Hamnet, while Amy Madigan took home Best Supporting Actress for Weapons. The wins reflected a mix of established talent and standout performances across a competitive field.

Beyond the top categories, the awards highlighted a diverse range of films and genres. Frankenstein dominated several technical categories, including Production Design, Costume Design, and Makeup and Hairstyling. Meanwhile, Avatar: Fire and Ash won Best Visual Effects, continuing the franchise’s legacy in pushing cinematic technology.

Creative impact

In music categories, Sinners again stood out with Best Original Score, while the song Golden from KPop Demon Hunters won Best Original Song. The animated feature itself also secured Best Animated Feature, underscoring its popularity and creative impact.

International and documentary filmmaking were also recognized. Sentimental Value from Norway won Best International Feature, while Mr. Nobody Against Putin took home Best Documentary Feature. In the short film categories, The Girl Who Cried Pearls won Best Animated Short, All the Empty Rooms won Best Documentary Short, and the Live-Action Short category ended in a rare tie between The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva.

The ceremony, hosted by Conan O’Brien, blended humor with reflection, including jokes about artificial intelligence and a heartfelt in memoriam segment honoring industry veterans such as Robert Redford and Diane Keaton.Overall, the 2026 Oscars showcased a balance between blockbuster filmmaking and character-driven storytelling, with One Battle After Another leading the charge.