The 98th Academy Awards crowned One Battle After Another as Best Picture, with Paul Thomas Anderson winning his first Oscars for directing and writing. Michael B. Jordan and Jessie Buckley took top acting honours, while Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman to win Best Cinematography for Sinners.
The 98th Academy Awards, held on 15 March 2026 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, delivered a night of triumphs, breakthroughs, and historic firsts. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another emerged as the evening’s dominant force, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn, and the newly introduced Best Casting award for Cassandra Kulukundis. After 14 nominations across his career, Anderson finally secured multiple Oscars in one night, cementing his legacy as one of cinema’s most enduring storytellers.
Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for his performance in Sinners, while Jessie Buckley claimed Best Actress for her portrayal in Hamnet. Amy Madigan took Best Supporting Actress for Weapons. Sinners also earned recognition for Ryan Coogler’s Best Original Screenplay, Ludwig Göransson’s Best Original Score, and Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s groundbreaking win in Best Cinematography — the first time a woman has ever won the category.
Technical achievements were spread across films, with Frankenstein sweeping Production Design, Costume Design, and Makeup & Hairstyling, F1 winning Best Sound, and Avatar: Fire and Ash taking Best Visual Effects. In music and animation, KPop Demon Hunters won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Golden”, while The Girl Who Cried Pearls triumphed in Animated Short. The Live-Action Short category saw a rare tie between The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva.
Documentary honours went to Mr. Nobody Against Putin (Feature) and All the Empty Rooms (Short), while Norway’s Sentimental Value won Best International Feature Film.
The ceremony underscored the Academy’s evolving recognition of diverse voices and genres, with Anderson’s long-awaited triumph and Arkapaw’s historic win marking the 98th Oscars as a landmark celebration of cinematic achievement.
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