Oscars 2026: The Winners and the Big Night of ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘Sinners’
The 98th Academy Awards are in the books, and Hollywood has a new number one. At the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, scores were settled, laughs were had, and more than a few people talked until they were blue in the face. But who actually got to take home the coveted gold statue? Here’s the complete rundown of the 2026 Oscar winners – and why this year's crop 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 sweeping epic ‘One Battle After Another’ was the night's big winner. Snagging six trophies – including the heavy hitters like Best Picture and Best Director – the ensemble cast featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn reaped the rewards. Particularly moving: Sean Penn, who took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role, got genuinely political in his speech. He didn't hold back on the current political climate in the US. It was far from a dull thank-you list; it was pure cinema.
The Record-Breaker: 'Sinners' and Its Massive Achievement
And then there was ‘Sinners.’ With a staggering 16 nominations, Ryan Coogler's film etched its name into history – more than ‘Titanic’ or ‘All About Eve.’ In the end, it took home four Oscars, but some of the most prestigious ones. Michael B. Jordan grabbed the Oscar for Best Actor, beating out Timothée Chalamet ("Marty Supreme") and Leo DiCaprio. It also won gold for Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score. The score, by the way, comes from Sweden's Ludwig Göransson, landing him his second Oscar after ‘Oppenheimer.’ A name that naturally creates an instant link to The World of Hans Zimmer – even though Zimmer himself went home empty-handed this year, his spirit lives on brilliantly in the new generation of composers like Göransson.
The Night's Wildcards: Where are Springsteen and Tarantino?
Let's get to the rumors and hopes that were circulating before the show. Sure, Bruce Springsteen – the Boss – didn't have a new song in the running. But his spirit loomed large over the evening. ‘One Battle After Another’ is a profoundly American epic, thematically a perfect fit for Springsteen's blue-collar romanticism. You almost wished he had kicked off the night with a musical performance.
And Quentin Tarantino? He wasn't nominated either, but you can bet he was somewhere in the audience, sizing up the competition. After all, rumors are swirling that his final film is slowly taking shape. Still, for film history buffs, it felt like a Tarantino evening: Paul Thomas Anderson's speech was packed with nods to 20th-century classics, and the crowd ate it up.
The Complete List of 2026 Winners
If you want the full breakdown of who won in the technical categories, here's the list:
- 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 Film: ‘KPop Demon Hunters’
- Best Documentary Feature Film: ‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin’
What's the lasting impression of this 2026 Oscar night? That cinema is alive and well. That master storytellers like Anderson and Coogler aren't letting the streamers steal their thunder. And that a night 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.