One Battle After Another Triumphs At Oscars 2026 As Sinners Powers the Night
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Hollywood’s biggest night turned into a dramatic two-film showdown at the 98th Academy Awards. By the time the ceremony ended, One Battle After Another emerged as the night’s dominant force, while Sinners - despite entering with a record number of nominations - still secured some of the ceremony’s most high-profile wins.
The top honor went to One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, who also won Best Director - his first Oscar victory after years of nominations. The film ultimately took home six Oscars, the most of any movie this year for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Sean Penn), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Casting. The sweep cemented Anderson’s long-awaited moment at the Academy Awards and confirmed the film as the year’s critical favorite.
Despite entering the ceremony with a record 16 nominations, Sinners still walked away with major honors: Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Best Original Screenplay (Ryan Coogler), Best Cinematography (Autumn Durald Arkapaw), and Best Original Score (Ludwig Göransson). Arkapaw’s win was historic, making her the first woman ever to win the Oscar for Cinematography.
One of the most emotional victories of the night came when Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for her performance in Hamnet. The Irish performer delivered what many critics described as a deeply layered and devastating portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare, the wife of William Shakespeare and the grieving mother at the heart of the story. Meanwhile the Best Supporting Actress Oscar went to Amy Madigan for her powerful performance in the thriller Weapons. The win marked a remarkable moment in Madigan’s long career, earning the veteran performer her first Academy Award decades after she first became known to audiences in the 1980s.
The Best Actor race at the 2026 Academy Awards was widely considered one of the most competitive categories of the night. Ultimately, the Oscar went to Michael B. Jordan for his electrifying dual performance in Sinners, but the category featured several powerhouse contenders - including another closely watched nomination for Timothée Chalamet. For the latter the night marked another frustrating near-victory. The actor, who first received an Oscar nomination for Call Me by Your Name in 2018, has repeatedly been considered one of the defining performers of his generation, but the Academy once again passed him over in favor of a competing performance. The latest Chalamet's comments on opera and ballet might also played a significant part for a final choice.
Hollywood icon Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor for his role in One Battle After Another. The award marked Penn’s third Academy Award overall, following his previous Best Actor wins for Mystic River and Milk.
Beyond the two leading films, several other projects picked up key awards:
Best Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters
Best International Feature: Sentimental Value (Norway)
Best Documentary Feature: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Best Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash
Best Sound: F1
Meanwhile, Frankenstein quietly built its own mini-sweep in technical categories, winning three Oscars for production design, costume design and makeup.
See all the winners here.
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