Oscars 2026 Winners: "One Battle After Another" Triumphs, Records and Surprises on Oscar Night
What a night at the Dolby Theatre! The 98th Academy Awards are in the books, and they delivered exactly what every film fan hopes for: clear winners, historic moments, and a few unexpected twists. Paul Thomas Anderson's epic "One Battle After Another" was the undisputed king of the evening, snagging a whopping six trophies, including the biggest ones. But "Sinners" and "Frankenstein" also had plenty to celebrate, taking home multiple gold statues as well.
The Big Winner: "One Battle After Another"
Director Paul Thomas Anderson, long considered one of the greats, finally took home a well-deserved Oscar for Best Director. His film also claimed the night's most prestigious award, Best Picture, the logical culmination of a triumphant awards season run. But that wasn't all: the movie also secured wins for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Casting – a newly introduced category – and Sean Penn took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. This marks Penn's third acting Oscar, placing him in an elite club alongside Jack Nicholson and Daniel Day-Lewis.
The Acting Heavyweights: Jordan and Buckley Shine
The acting categories held no real surprises, but plenty of reasons for celebration. Michael B. Jordan rightfully won the Oscar for Best Actor for his dual role in Ryan Coogler's vampire drama "Sinners." He beat out stiff competition, including Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio. On the ladies' side, Jessie Buckley took the prize. Her intense performance in "Hamnet" earned her the Oscar for Best Actress – a choice that came as no surprise following her triumphs at the major award ceremonies this season.
In the supporting categories, alongside Sean Penn, there was another memorable moment: Amy Madigan was honored as Best Supporting Actress for her role in the horror film "Weapons," capping a decades-long career.
Historic Wins and a Quirky Tie
The night had much more to offer than just the major winners. "Sinners" had double the reason to cheer. Not only did the film win the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay (Ryan Coogler), but Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography. A long-overdue milestone in this category! Composer Ludwig Göransson rounded out the triumph for "Sinners" with the Oscar for Best Original Score.
One of the most emotional moments came from Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein." This reimagining of the classic dominated the technical categories, deservedly winning Oscars for Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
"KPop Demon Hunters" was also a phenomenon. The Netflix animated hit not only won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, but the catchy tune "Golden" also won Best Original Song – the first K-pop song to do so. And then there was the first tie in a category in 14 years: In the Live Action Short Film category, "The Singers" and "Two People Exchanging Saliva" had to share the statue – a quirky but heartwarming moment that drew laughter and applause from the audience.
The 98th Academy Awards Winners at a Glance
Here is the complete list of Oscars 2026 winners in the key categories:
- 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 International Feature Film: Sentimental Value (Norway)
- Best Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters
- Best Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw (Sinners)
- Best Original Score: Ludwig Göransson (Sinners)
- Best Original Song: "Golden" (KPop Demon Hunters)
- Best Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash