Oscars 2026: A Night of Major Wins, Record Nominations, and Celebrated Performances
The 2026 Oscars, officially the 98th Academy Awards, celebrated the best films of 2025 and took place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The ceremony was hosted by Conan O'Brien and broadcast on ABC, bringing together some of the biggest names in the film industry for one of Hollywood’s most prestigious nights.
The biggest winner of the evening was the political thriller One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The film won Best Picture and collected a total of six Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Anderson. Its success marked it as the most awarded film of the night and one of the most critically celebrated releases of the year.
Another major contender was Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler. The film entered the ceremony with a record-breaking 16 nominations, the highest number for any film that year. Although it did not win Best Picture, it still had a strong showing, taking home four Oscars, including Best Original Screenplay for Coogler.
In the acting categories, Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for his performance in Sinners, while Jessie Buckley earned Best Actress for her role in Hamnet. Supporting acting honors went to Sean Penn for One Battle After Another and Amy Madigan for Weapons.
The 2026 Oscars also highlighted a diverse range of films and genres, from historical dramas to political thrillers and fantasy epics. Other movies receiving awards included Frankenstein, F1, and several international productions, reflecting the increasingly global nature of modern cinema.
Overall, the 2026 Academy Awards showcased both established stars and new creative voices. With major wins for One Battle After Another and strong competition from films like Sinners, the ceremony celebrated a year of ambitious storytelling and memorable performances in film.