The 98th Academy Awards didn't just hand out trophies last night; they finally settled the greatest cinematic grudge match of the decade. For months, the industry was split down the middle. On one side, you had Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, a record-breaking vampire epic that walked into the Dolby Theatre with a staggering 16 nominations. On the other, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, a sprawling, counter-culture caper based on Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland.
When the dust settled, the Academy chose the weird, the wild, and the nostalgic.
If you’re looking for the short answer: One Battle After Another won Best Picture. It took home six Oscars in total, effectively ending PTA’s long-running "always a bridesmaid" streak. But the story of the night wasn't just about the top prize. It was about a horror movie nearly sweeping the acting categories and a massive upset that left Timothée Chalamet fans staring at their screens in disbelief.
The PTA Sweep and the Death of the Snub Narrative
Paul Thomas Anderson has been the Academy’s favorite underdog for years. After decade-defining works like There Will Be Blood and The Master, the fact that he had zero Oscars was a running joke in Hollywood. That joke ended at the 2026 Oscars.
Anderson didn't just win Best Picture; he also bagged Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. During his speech, he was surprisingly grounded, dedicated the film to his kids and joked about the "housekeeping mess" our generation is leaving behind. It was a massive night for Warner Bros., marking their first Best Picture win since Argo back in 2013.
The film also cleaned up in the technical and supporting fields. Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film, though he wasn't there to pick it up. Presenter Kieran Culkin didn't miss the chance to poke fun, suggesting Penn "didn't want to be here." Whether it was a scheduled absence or a classic Penn protest, the win solidified the movie's dominance.
Michael B. Jordan’s Historic Night
While Sinners lost the top prize, it arguably provided the night's most emotional moment. Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for his dual role as the brothers Smoke and Stack.
This wasn't just a "popularity" win. If you’ve seen the film, you know Jordan had to navigate a complex, supernatural landscape while grounding the story in the very real terrors of the Jim Crow era. In his speech, he thanked the legends who paved the way—Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Will Smith. It felt like a passing of the torch.
The Chalamet Upset
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. Most pundits had their money on Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme. He’d swept the Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice Awards. Many thought this was his year to become the youngest Best Actor winner in decades.
Why did he lose? Honestly, it might have been the "over-eager" campaign. Hollywood loves a winner, but it hates a try-hard. Chalamet’s recent press tour was... intense. Throw in some ill-timed comments about high-brow vs. low-brow art, and you have a recipe for a late-season cooling. Jordan, meanwhile, stayed quiet and let the work speak. The Academy clearly preferred the latter.
A Win for Horror and History
For a long time, the Oscars treated horror like a distant, embarrassing relative. Not this year. Amy Madigan pulled off a stunning win for Best Supporting Actress in Weapons. At 75, she reminded everyone that genre films can provide some of the most visceral, "serious" performances in the business.
Then there was Autumn Durald Arkapaw. She made history by becoming the first woman—and the first Black person—to win Best Cinematography for her work on Sinners. If you want to understand why that movie felt so heavy and atmospheric, it’s her. She used her time on stage to honor her late Uncle Val, providing one of the few genuinely tear-jerky moments of the evening.
Breaking Down the 2026 Oscar Winners
If you missed the broadcast, here’s the breakdown of where the major trophies landed.
- 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 Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
- Best Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters
- Best International Feature: Sentimental Value (Norway)
The Technical Giants
While the "Big Five" get the headlines, the crafts categories told a different story. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein didn't win the night, but it dominated the aesthetic categories, taking home Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. It’s a gorgeous, grotesque film that deserved every bit of that recognition.
Avatar: Fire and Ash did what James Cameron movies do: it won Best Visual Effects. At this point, that category should probably just be named after him. On the sound front, the high-octane racing drama F1 took home the trophy, proving that the Academy still values a theatrical experience that rattles your ribcage.
Why Jessie Buckley Was a Lock
The Best Actress race felt decided months ago. Jessie Buckley’s performance in Hamnet was the kind of transformative work that the Academy simply cannot ignore. Playing Agnes Hathaway, she brought a raw, maternal grief to the screen that felt almost too painful to watch.
Her win makes her the first Irish woman to take home the Best Actress Oscar. In a night full of "finally" moments (like PTA’s wins), Buckley’s victory felt like the most deserved "of course" of the night. She dedicated the award to "the beautiful chaos of a mother's heart," a fitting tribute given it was Mother's Day back in the UK.
The Weird Stuff
Every Oscar ceremony needs a bit of chaos to keep things interesting. This year, it was a tie in the Live Action Short Film category. Presenter Kumail Nanjiani actually had to stop and tell the audience he wasn't joking. Both The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva walked away with Oscars.
And then there was host Conan O'Brien. After years of safe, somewhat stale hosting, Conan brought a manic energy that actually worked. He didn't shy away from the politics—mentioning everything from the Paramount merger to the ongoing labor discussions—but he kept it funny.
What This Means for the Industry
The 2026 Oscars showed a shift in what the "Academy" even is. We saw a horror movie (Sinners) lead the nominations and win major acting and writing awards. We saw a first-ever Best Casting award go to Cassandra Kulukundis for One Battle After Another.
The industry is moving away from the "Oscar Bait" dramas of the early 2000s and embracing movies that are actually, well, movies. Big, loud, stylistic, and occasionally confusing. If you haven't seen the winners yet, start with One Battle After Another for the craft, then hit Sinners for the performances. You've got some catching up to do before the 2027 season kicks off.
Next time you’re looking for a movie night, check the streaming status of Sentimental Value. It’s a Norwegian drama that pulled a major upset in the International Feature category, beating out the heavily favored The Secret Agent. It’s a quiet, devastating film that proves Norway is currently the powerhouse of European cinema.
