At the 98th Academy Awards, Hollywood’s most coveted honors were handed out to the industry’s best and brightest. In spectacular fashion, the host Conan O’Brien set the tone for a lively night that celebrated a standout year in cinema, with major wins for the films “One Battle After Another,” “Sinners” and “KPop Demon Hunters.” Leading the pack, “One Battle After Another” dominated the evening, taking home six awards and cementing its place as the biggest success story of the night.
Michael B. Jordan made history at the 2026 Oscars, becoming the sixth Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual role as twins Smoke and Stack in “Sinners.” Set in the Jim Crow-era Mississippi Delta, the film highlights Jordan’s remarkable range and precision as a performer. Jordan honoured the Black actors who came before him in his acceptance speech.
“I stand here because of the people that came before me: Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forrest Whitaker, Will Smith,” Jordan said.
Produced, written and directed by Ryan Coogler, “Sinners” follows Smoke and Stack as they return home hoping to start fresh after years spent running with gangsters in Chicago. Their plan to open a juke joint is upended when a vampire threat, drawn by the supernatural blues talent of their younger cousin Sammie, descends on the club and turns a night of music and celebration into a desperate fight for survival. The film uses vampire mythology as a lens to examine how Black art and culture have historically been stripped of their roots and claimed by others.
“Sinners” struck a chord with critics and audiences alike, grossing $368 million worldwide and earning 16 Oscar nominations.
Jessie Buckley won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her visceral and emotional performance in “Hamnet.” Directed by Chloé Zhao and adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel, the film imagines the life of the Shakespeare family, following Agnes Shakespeare as she unravels in the wake of her son Hamnet’s death — a loss that inspired her husband, William, to write what would become “Hamlet.”
Buckley’s raw performance captures grief and motherhood. Her acceptance speech carried the same depth. She moved seamlessly from honoring her fellow nominees to mentioning her eight-month-old daughter, Isla, before closing with a tribute to Zhao and O’Farrell.
After decades in the film industry, Amy Madigan, 75, finally got her moment, claiming the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the enigmatic Aunt Gladys in the horror film “Weapons.” She brought a mix of grandiosity, mystery and eccentricity to the role.
The film centers on a community’s worst nightmare: an entire classroom of children vanishing at once in the night, leaving only one survivor. In a competitive category stacked with awards-season favorites, Madigan’s win cemented her reputation as a formidable character actor.
When asked what felt different about this awards cycle, Madigan played it cool.
“What’s different about this time? What’s different is that I got this little gold guy,” Madigan said.
Lastly, Paul Thomas Anderson’s dark comic thriller “One Battle After Another” won the Academy Award for Best Picture, capping the night with six trophies. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson, a weed-smoking, ex-revolutionary turned single father searching for his teenage daughter. Bob and Perfidia Beverly Hills, played by Teyana Taylor, lead The French 75, a revolutionary group caught in the crosshairs of Sean Penn’s menacing Colonel Lockjaw.
Sean Penn, 65, won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a fanatical military zealot in Anderson’s politically charged thriller “One Battle After Another.” This marks his third Academy Award win, a major moment in a competitive field.
Instead of taking the stage, Penn left for Europe en route to Ukraine, where he was presented with an alternative prize – an “Oscar” made from a war-damaged Ukrainian rail carriage, a tribute that felt more fitting for Penn than a polished Hollywood ceremony ever could.
Penn’s absence became the subject of jokes from actor Kieran Culkin and O’Brien.
“Sean Penn couldn’t be here this evening — or didn’t want to, so I’ll be accepting the award on his behalf,” Culkin said.
With an all-star cast, “One Battle After Another” made an impact across the acting categories, with the addition of Taylor nominated for best supporting actress. “One Battle After Another” spent much of awards season trading blows with “Sinners” for the top prize, but it was Anderson who ultimately ended the night with Hollywood’s biggest award.
