The Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, hosted the 98th Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars 2026, on March 15, 2026. For the second year in a row, Conan O’Brien hosted the ceremony, which featured a mix of sharp humor, heartfelt speeches, and surprising turns in one of the most competitive fields in recent memory. The event, which aired live on ABC and Hulu, honored the movies of 2025. Paul Thomas Anderson’s thriller One Battle After Another won six Oscars, including Best Picture, making it the most important movie of the night.
Oscars 2026 Profile Summary
| Category | Winner / Film | Key Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Best Picture | One Battle After Another | Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson; won 6 awards total |
| Best Director | Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) | Recognized for his cinematic vision |
| Best Actor | Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) | Historic win; Sinners had 16 nominations, won 4 |
| Best Actress | Jessie Buckley (Frankenstein) | Acclaimed performance in Guillermo del Toro’s film |
| Best Supporting Actor | Notable win (details pending full list) | Linked to Sinners and other strong contenders |
| Best Supporting Actress | Recognized role (details pending full list) | Associated with K-Pop Demon Hunters |
| Best Original Screenplay | One Battle After Another | Strong narrative praised by critics |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Frankenstein | Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation earned 3 awards |
| Best International Feature | K-Pop Demon Hunters | Surprise win highlighting global cinema |
| Best Animated Feature | Likely K-Pop Demon Hunters (animated category) | Popular with younger audiences |
| Technical Awards | Frankenstein (Makeup & Costume), Sinners (Sound, Editing) | Showcased craftsmanship |
Key Takeaways
- Top Winner: One Battle After Another (6 Oscars, including Best Picture & Director).
- Runner-Up: Sinners (4 Oscars, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan).
- Strong Showing: Frankenstein (3 Oscars, including Best Actress Jessie Buckley).
- Global Spotlight: K-Pop Demon Hunters won in international/animated categories.
Context & Trends
- The 2026 Oscars were highly competitive, with Sinners leading nominations (16) but underperforming in wins compared to expectations.
- One Battle After Another consolidated critical acclaim with both Best Picture and Best Director, echoing past Oscar sweeps.
- Jessie Buckley’s win for Frankenstein marked a career-defining moment, while Michael B. Jordan’s Best Actor win was celebrated as a milestone for representation.
- The inclusion of K-Pop Demon Hunters reflects the Academy’s increasing recognition of global and genre cinema.
A Night Full of Surprises and Historic Wins
O’Brien’s monologue made fun of Hollywood trends, streaming wars, and the fact that there were a lot of action-oriented movies this year, which is unusual for a year when dramas are usually the most popular. Previous winners like Mikey Madison, Adrien Brody, Zoe Saldaña, and Kieran Culkin from the year before were presenters, which added a sense of continuity and star power. The ceremony gave out the first-ever Best Casting award, which went to Cassandra Kulukundis for One Battle After Another. This award shows how important ensemble chemistry is becoming in modern filmmaking.
The biggest surprise came early on when Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s ambitious vampire thriller that led with a record 16 nominations, won four awards but didn’t win all of the top categories. Michael B. Jordan won his first Oscar for Best Actor. He gave an emotional speech about representation and perseverance to celebrate the win.
Best Picture and Best Director
One Battle After Another won Best Picture, ending a great awards season for Paul Thomas Anderson’s story about former left-wing revolutionaries trying to make sense of modern chaos. Adam Somner, Sara Murphy, and Anderson himself made the movie. It also won Anderson his first Oscar for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor (he skipped the ceremony), and Andy Jurgensen won Best Film Editing, which showed how good the film’s technical skills were.
The race for Best Picture was close, with strong candidates like Sinners, Hamnet (Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of Shakespeare), Bugonia (Yorgos Lanthimos’ new movie), Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro’s version), F1, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, and Train Dreams. One Battle After Another’s six wins put it on par with a number of past Best Picture winners for the most awards won, showing that it was popular in acting, directing, writing, and craft categories.
Acting Awards: Big Steps and Breakthroughs
Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for her role as Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet, making her the first Irish actor to win in the lead acting categories. Her nuanced performance in the historical drama beat out tough competition from Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), and Emma Stone (Bugonia).
Fans loved that Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for playing twins Smoke and Stack in Sinners. Jordan’s win over nominees like Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent) showed how much the movie affected culture.
In the Supporting categories, Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor for One Battle After Another, tying the record for most male acting wins, and Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for Weapons.
Other Important Wins and Categories
Ryan Coogler won Best Original Screenplay for Sinners, bringing its total number of craft wins to three. Animated movies and international movies also did well, but the winners in categories like Best Animated Feature (which could be KPop Demon Hunters or others) and technical awards showed that it was a diverse year.
There were some great moments at the ceremony, like paying tribute to industry legends and calling for unity in the face of ongoing problems. Fashion on the red carpet leaned toward bold, futuristic looks, which fit with the slate of movies that were coming out.
The 98th Oscars’ Legacy
People will remember the 2026 Oscars for finding a good balance between show and substance. One Battle After Another’s success solidified Paul Thomas Anderson’s place as one of the best directors in film history, while wins for Jordan and Buckley showed that representation was getting better. Even though Sinners didn’t win the top prize, it was a big hit with critics and awards shows. This showed how much talent there was in movies in 2025.
The 98th Academy Awards set a high standard for stories that mix ambition, performance, and relevance as Hollywood looks to the future. The Academy gave an award to a movie that showed how complicated battle is, both in a literal and ideological sense, in modern America. This was a year of big ideas, from vampire epics to adaptations of literary works. The night ended on a hopeful note, reminding everyone why the Oscars are still the biggest event in movies.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When and where did the 98th Oscars take place?
The ceremony was held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. It aired live starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on ABC, with streaming available on Hulu. Conan O’Brien returned as host for his second consecutive year, bringing his signature sharp wit to the event.
Who won Best Picture?
One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, took home the night’s top honor of Best Picture. The film, produced by Adam Somner, Sara Murphy, and Anderson, dominated with six total wins, including Best Director for Anderson (his first Oscar in that category) and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Who won the lead acting awards?
- Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan for his dual role as twins Smoke and Stack in Sinners. This marked his first Academy Award.
- Best Actress: Jessie Buckley for her portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet. She became the first Irish actor to win in this category.
What about the supporting acting categories?
- Best Supporting Actor: Sean Penn for One Battle After Another (he did not attend the ceremony). This win tied a record for male acting Oscars.
- Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan for Weapons.
How did Sinners fare overall?
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners entered the night with a record-breaking 16 nominations—the most in Academy history—but won four awards. Highlights included Michael B. Jordan’s Best Actor win and Best Original Screenplay for Coogler. It was a strong showing for the vampire thriller, though it didn’t sweep the top prizes.
What new category was introduced this year?
The Academy debuted the Best Casting award, won by Cassandra Kulukundis for One Battle After Another. This addition recognized the critical role of casting in building ensemble chemistry and has been praised as a long-overdue category.
How many viewers watched the 2026 Oscars?
The telecast drew approximately 17.86 million viewers in the United States, reflecting solid interest in a competitive year of films.
Which films were the biggest contenders besides the winners?
The Best Picture race was packed with heavy hitters, including Sinners, Hamnet (Chloé Zhao), Bugonia (Yorgos Lanthimos), Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro), F1, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, and Train Dreams. Wins were spread out, making it one of the more distributed awards nights in recent memory.