On a night where history was both made and written, the 98th Academy Awards belonged to Paul Thomas Anderson.
His political black comedy, One Battle After Another, emerged as the definitive victor of the 2026 Oscars, securing six statues including Best Picture, Best Director, and the inaugural award for Achievement in Casting. Anderson’s sweep marked a stunning upset over Ryan Coogler’s vampire epic Sinners, which entered the Dolby Theatre with a record-breaking 16 nominations but left with four wins.
The evening was defined by a shift toward veteran recognition and breakthrough firsts. Michael B. Jordan claimed his long-awaited first Oscar for his dual role in Sinners, while Jessie Buckley solidified her status as Hollywood’s new premier talent with a Best Actress win for her haunting portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet.
The Night of Firsts and Records
The 2026 ceremony, hosted with characteristic wit by Conan O’Brien, will be remembered for several milestones:
- The First Casting Oscar: One Battle After Another made history as the first recipient of the newly created Best Casting category, awarded to Cassandra Kulukundis.
- A Rare Tie: In a moment that stunned the room, the Academy announced a tie for Best Live Action Short between The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva—the first such deadlock in over a decade.
- Cinematography History: Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first female and first Black winner of the Best Cinematography award for her work on Sinners.
Oscars 2026: The Winners List in Full
| Category | Winner |
| 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 Adapted Screenplay | One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson |
| Best Original Screenplay | Sinners, Ryan Coogler |
| Best Animated Feature | KPop Demon Hunters |
| Best International Feature | Sentimental Value (Norway) |
| Best Documentary Feature | Mr. Nobody Against Putin |
| Best Original Score | Sinners, Ludwig Göransson |
| Best Original Song | “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters |
| Best Cinematography | Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners |
| Best Film Editing | Andy Jurgensen, One Battle After Another |
| Best Casting | Cassandra Kulukundis, One Battle After Another |
| Best Production Design | Frankenstein, Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau |
| Best Costume Design | Frankenstein, Kate Hawley |
| Best Makeup and Hairstyling | Frankenstein, Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, and Cliona Furey |
| Best Sound | F1, Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, and Juan Peralta |
| Best Visual Effects | Avatar: Fire and Ash, Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett |
| Best Live Action Short | (TIE) The Singers / Two People Exchanging Saliva |
| Best Animated Short | The Girl Who Cried Pearls |
| Best Documentary Short | All the Empty Rooms |
The Final Word
As the curtain closed on the 2026 awards season, the industry looked back on a year that balanced blockbuster spectacle with deeply personal storytelling. While Sinners dominated the conversation for months, it was the “common sense and decency” championed by Paul Thomas Anderson in his acceptance speech that ultimately won the hearts of the Academy voters.