The 98th Academy Awards have come and gone, and what a night it was! Hollywood’s biggest stars gathered at the iconic Dolby Theater to celebrate cinema’s finest achievements. From record-breaking nominations to historic wins, the 2026 Oscars delivered memorable moments that have everyone talking.
The Big Winners of the Night
Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” dominated the ceremony, taking home six prestigious awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The epic drama proved why it was one of the most talked-about films of the year, with the Academy recognizing its artistic excellence across multiple categories.
But the real story of the night was “Sinners”* – despite earning a record-breaking 16 nominations (the most in Oscar history!), the film secured four major wins. **Michael B. Jordan** finally got his moment, winning Best Actor in a Leading Role, while director *Ryan Coogler took home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The film also triumphed in the technical categories with wins for Best Original Score and Best Cinematography.
Historic First-Time Winners
Jessie Buckley had her breakthrough moment, winning Best Actress for her powerful performance in “Hamnet.” The British actress delivered an emotional acceptance speech that left many in tears.
Veteran actress Amy Madigan also joined the winners’ circle, taking home Best Supporting Actress for “Weapons” – a well-deserved recognition after decades in the industry.
Complete Winners List – All Categories
Major Categories
BEST PICTURE
🏆 WINNER: One Battle After Another
– Bugonia
– Frankenstein
– F1
– Hamnet
– Marty Supreme
– The Secret Agent
– Sentimental Value
– Sinners
– Train Dreams
BEST ACTRESS
🏆 WINNER: Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
– Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
– Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
– Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
– Emma Stone – Bugonia
BEST ACTOR
🏆 WINNER: Michael B Jordan – Sinners
– Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
– Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
– Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
– Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
🏆 WINNER: Amy Madigan – Weapons
– Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
– Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
– Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
– Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
🏆 WINNER: Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
– Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
– Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
– Delroy Lindo – Sinners
– Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
BEST DIRECTOR
🏆 WINNER: Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
– Ryan Coogler – Sinners
– Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
– Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
– Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
Writing Categories
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
🏆 WINNER: Sinners – Ryan Coogler
– Blue Moon – Robert Kaplow
– It Was Just an Accident – Jafar Panahi
– Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
– Sentimental Value – Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
🏆 WINNER: One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
– Bugonia – Will Tracy
– Frankenstein – Guillermo del Toro
– Hamnet – Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell
– Train Dreams – Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar
International & Documentary Categories
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
🏆 WINNER: Sentimental Value
– It Was Just an Accident
– Sirât
– The Secret Agent
– The Voice of Hind Rajab
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
🏆 WINNER: Mr Nobody Against Putin
– Come See Me in the Good Light
– Cutting Through the Rocks
– The Alabama Solution
– The Perfect Neighbor
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
🏆 WINNER: KPop Demon Hunters
– Arco
– Elio
– Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
– Zootopia 2
Music Categories
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
🏆 WINNER: “Golden” – KPop Demon Hunters (by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park)
– “Dear Me” – Diane Warren: Relentless (by Diane Warren)
– “I Lied to You” – Sinners (by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Goransson)
– “Sweet Dreams of Joy” – Viva Verdi! (by Nicholas Pike)
– “Train Dreams” – Train Dreams (by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner)
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
🏆 WINNER: Sinners – Ludwig Goransson
– Bugonia – Jerskin Fendrix
– Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
– Hamnet – Max Richter
– One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood
Technical Categories
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
🏆 WINNER: Sinners – Autumn Durald Arkapaw
– Frankenstein – Dan Laustsen
– Marty Supreme – Darius Khondji
– One Battle After Another – Michael Bauman
– Train Dreams – Adolpho Veloso
BEST FILM EDITING
🏆 WINNER: One Battle After Another – Andy Jurgensen
– F1 – Stephen Mirrione
– Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
– Sentimental Value – Olivier Bugge Coutté
– Sinners – Michael P Shawver
BEST SOUND
🏆 WINNER: F1 – Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A Rizzo, and Juan Peralta
– Frankenstein – Greg Chapman, Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke, and Brad Zoern
– One Battle After Another – José Antonio García, Christopher Scarabosio, and Tony Villaflor
– Sinners – Chris Welcker, Benjamin A Burtt, Felipe Pacheco, Brandon Proctor, and Steve Boeddeker
– Sirât – Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas and Yasmina Praderas
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
🏆 WINNER: Avatar: Fire and Ash – Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett
– F1 – Ryan Tudhope, Nicolas Chevallier, Robert Harrington and Keith Dawson
– Jurassic World Rebirth – David Vickery, Stephen Aplin, Charmaine Chan and Neil Corbould
– Sinners – Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter and Donnie Dean
– The Lost Bus – Charlie Noble, David Zaretti, Russell Bowen and Brandon K McLaughlin
Design Categories
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
🏆 WINNER: Frankenstein – Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau
– Hamnet – Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton
– Marty Supreme – Jack Fisk and Adam Willis
– One Battle After Another – Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino
– Sinners – Hannah Beachler and Monique Champagne
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
🏆 WINNER: Frankenstein – Kate Hawley
– Avatar: Fire and Ash – Deborah L Scott
– Hamnet – Malgosia Turzanska
– Marty Supreme – Miyako Bellizz
– Sinners – Ruth E Carter
BEST MAKE-UP AND HAIRSTYLING
🏆 WINNER: Frankenstein – Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, and Cliona Furey
– Kokuho – Kyoko Toyokawa, Naomi Hibino, and Tadashi Nishimatsu
– Sinners – Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, and Shunika Terry
– The Smashing Machine – Kazu Hiro, Glen Griffin, and Bjoern Rehbein
– The Ugly Stepsister – Thomas Foldberg and Anne Cathrine Sauerberg
BEST CASTING
🏆 WINNER: One Battle After Another – Cassandra Kulukundis
– Hamnet – Nina Gold
– Marty Supreme – Jennifer Venditti
– Sinners – Francine Maisler
– The Secret Agent – Gabriel Domingues
Short Film Categories
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
🏆 WINNER: The Girl Who Cried Pearls
– Butterfly
– Forevergreen
– Retirement Plan
– The Three Sisters
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT (TIE)
🏆 WINNER: The Singers
🏆 WINNER: Two People Exchanging Saliva
– A Friend of Dorothy
– Butcher’s Stain
– Jane Austen’s Period Drama
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
🏆 WINNER: All the Empty Rooms
– Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
– Children No More: Were and Are Gone
– The Devil Is Busy
– Perfectly a Strangeness
The Night’s Highlights
The ceremony had its share of unforgettable moments – from emotional speeches to surprise wins. “Frankenstein” proved to be the dark horse in technical categories, winning Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Make-up and Hairstyling.
For Nollywood enthusiasts and Nigerian film lovers, while we didn’t see representation at this year’s ceremony, the global recognition of diverse stories like “The Voice of Hind Rajab” in the International Feature category shows that world cinema continues to gain prominence at the Oscars.
Which win surprised you the most? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
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