The 98th edition of the Academy Awards took place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre, celebrating the best films released in 2025.
The ceremony, hosted for the second consecutive year by Conan O’Brien, lasted approximately three hours and 45 minutes. It was broadcast on ABC and streamed on Hulu.
This year’s Oscars featured a garden courtyard–themed stage, live performances including “I Lied To You” from Sinners, a tribute by Barbra Streisand to Robert Redford, and the traditional In Memoriam segment. Security was reportedly heightened due to external threats surrounding the event.
The night was largely dominated by two Warner Bros. productions, One Battle After Another and Sinners, which had been fierce rivals throughout the awards season.
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another emerged as the biggest winner of the evening with six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The dark political thriller stars Leonardo DiCaprio as an ex-radical caught in a high-stakes chase.
US film director, producer Ryan Coogler accepts the award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay) for “Sinners” onstage during the 98th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 15, 2026. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)
Meanwhile, Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, secured four Oscars, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, who played twin brothers Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore in the vampire horror drama.
Despite entering the ceremony with a record-breaking 16 nominations — the most in Oscars history, Sinners finished the night with fewer awards than expected. Still, the film achieved several historic milestones and contributed to a strong showing for Warner Bros., which led all studios with 11 total wins.
Several landmark moments defined the 2026 ceremony.
Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman ever to win Best Cinematography for her work on Sinners. She also became the first woman of colour nominated in the category. During her acceptance speech, she invited all women in the room to stand and expressed gratitude to the female support network behind the campaign.
Another milestone came with the introduction of Best Casting, the first new competitive Oscar category in 24 years, which was awarded to One Battle After Another.
For Anderson, the evening marked a long-awaited breakthrough. After receiving 14 previous nominations, he won his first Oscars, taking home awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay in a single night — becoming the ninth person in Academy history to achieve the triple victory.
Veteran actress Amy Madigan also set a record for the longest gap between acting nominations, returning to the Oscars after 40 years to win Best Supporting Actress for Weapons.
Other notable winners included Frankenstein, which dominated several craft categories, while the animated hit KPop Demon Hunters secured two awards.
FULL LIST OF 2026 OSCARS WINNERS
Best Picture
One Battle After Another (winner)
Bugonia
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams
Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (winner)
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Best Actor
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners (winner)
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
Best Actress
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet (winner)
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Best Supporting Actor
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another (winner)
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Madigan – Weapons (winner)
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Best Original Screenplay
Sinners – Ryan Coogler (winner)
Blue Moon
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Best Adapted Screenplay
One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson (winner)
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Train Dreams
Best Animated Feature
KPop Demon Hunters (winner)
Arco
Elio
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2
Best International Feature
Sentimental Value (Norway) (winner)
The Secret Agent (Brazil)
It Was Just an Accident (France)
Sirāt (Spain)
The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia)
Best Documentary Feature
Mr. Nobody Against Putin (winner)
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cutting Through Rocks
The Perfect Neighbor
Best Cinematography
Sinners – Autumn Durald Arkapaw (winner)
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams
Best Original Score
Sinners – Ludwig Göransson (winner)
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Best Original Song
“Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters (winner)
“Dear Me” (Diane Warren: Relentless)
“I Lied To You” (Sinners)
“Sweet Dreams of Joy” (Viva Verdi!)
“Train Dreams” (Train Dreams)
Best Film Editing
One Battle After Another – Andy Jurgensen (winner)
F1
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Best Production Design
Frankenstein (winner)
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Best Costume Design
Frankenstein – Kate Hawley (winner)
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Frankenstein (winner)
Kokuho
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
The Ugly Stepsister
Best Sound
F1 (winner)
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirāt
Best Visual Effects
Avatar: Fire and Ash (winner)
F1
Jurassic World Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners
Best Casting
One Battle After Another – Cassandra Kulukundis (winner)
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
The Secret Agent
Sinners
Best Documentary Short
All the Empty Rooms (winner)
Armed Only with a Camera…
Children No More…
The Devil Is Busy
Perfectly a Strangeness
Best Animated Short
The Girl Who Cried Pearls (winner)
Butterfly
Forevergreen
Retirement Plan
The Three Sisters
Best Live Action Short (tie)
The Singers (winner)
Two People Exchanging Saliva (winner)
Butcher’s Stain
A Friend of Dorothy
Jane Austen’s Period Drama