Oscars 2026: The Winners and the Big Night of 'One Battle After Another' and 'Sinners'
The 98th Academy Awards are history, and Hollywood has a new number one. At the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, scores were settled, laughs were had, and some people talked a mile a minute. But who actually got to take home the coveted gold statue? Here's the complete rundown of the winners of the 2026 Oscars – and why this year's ceremony was so special, even for seasoned cinephiles.
The Night of the Epic: 'One Battle After Another'
What a ride. Paul Thomas Anderson has done it again. His epic masterpiece, 'One Battle After Another', was the night's big winner. With six trophies – including the really big ones like Best Picture and Best Director – the ensemble cast featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn reaped the rewards they deserved. Particularly moving: Sean Penn, who bagged the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role and got quite political in his speech. He didn't hold back against the current political situation in the US. It wasn't some boring thank-you speech; it was pure, gripping cinema.
The Record-Breaker: 'Sinners' and Its Massive Achievement
And then there was 'Sinners'. With a staggering 16 nominations, Ryan Coogler's film made history – more than 'Titanic' or 'All About Eve'. In the end, it only took home four Oscars, but they were some of the most prestigious ones. Michael B. Jordan grabbed the Oscar for Best Actor, leaving Timothée Chalamet ('Marty Supreme') and Leo DiCaprio with no chance. Added to that were gold for Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score. The score, by the way, comes from Sweden's Ludwig Göransson, who thus bagged his second Oscar after 'Oppenheimer'. A name that immediately connects to The World of Hans Zimmer here – even though Zimmer himself went empty-handed this year, his spirit lives on brilliantly in the new generation of composers like Göransson.
The Night's Long-Tail Stories: Where are Springsteen and Tarantino?
Now, onto the rumours and hopes that were circulating before the show. Sure, Bruce Springsteen – the Boss – didn't have a new song in the race. But his spirit hovered over the evening. 'One Battle After Another' is a deeply American epic that thematically fits perfectly with Springsteen's blue-collar romanticism. You almost wished he had opened the show musically.
And Quentin Tarantino? He wasn't nominated either, but you can bet he was sitting somewhere in the hall, eyeing the competition closely. After all, the rumour is that his final film is slowly taking shape. For film history buffs, though, it was still a Tarantino-esque evening: Paul Thomas Anderson's speech was peppered with nods to the classics of the 20th century, and the audience went wild.
The Complete List of 2026 Winners
For those who now want to know exactly who won in the technical categories, here's the overview:
- 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: 'Sinners'
- Best Adapted Screenplay: 'One Battle After Another'
- Best Cinematography: 'Sinners'
- Best Editing: 'One Battle After Another'
- Best Production Design: 'Frankenstein'
- Best Costume Design: 'Frankenstein'
- Best Makeup and Hairstyling: 'Frankenstein'
- Best Original Score: 'Sinners' (Ludwig Göransson)
- Best Original Song: 'Golden' from 'KPop Demon Hunters'
- Best Sound: 'F1: The Movie'
- Best Visual Effects: 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'
- Best International Feature Film: 'Sentimental Value' (Norway)
- Best Animated Feature: 'KPop Demon Hunters'
- Best Documentary Feature Film: 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin'
What's the takeaway from this 2026 Oscar night? That cinema is alive and kicking. That master storytellers like Anderson and Coogler aren't letting streamers steal their thunder. And that an evening where both a dark epic and a horror film clean up is just fantastic. We're already looking forward to next year – and to seeing where the journey takes us then.