The Oscars Awards delivered historic moments and emotional victories, with One Battle After Another winning Best Picture and Michael B. Jordan taking Best Actor for Sinners. The ceremony also featured the first-ever female winner for Best Cinematography, a rare tie in the short film category, and an unexpected no-show by Sean Penn.
WEBDESK – Act Global Media
LOS ANGELES: Hollywood’s biggest night delivered drama, history, and major surprises as the winners of the 98th Academy Awards were announced at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
The evening saw Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” emerge as the biggest winner, taking Best Picture and finishing the night with six Oscars, the highest tally of the ceremony. The film edged past Ryan Coogler’s blockbuster hit “Sinners,” which secured four awards.
Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the ceremony brought together some of the world’s biggest stars and celebrated landmark achievements in filmmaking — including a historic win for cinematography and an unusual tie in one category.
Michael B. Jordan wins Best Actor
One of the night’s most emotional moments came when Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for his performance in Sinners, beating a competitive field that included Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Jordan’s victory drew a standing ovation from the audience, marking a major moment in the awards race after his momentum grew following a SAG Awards win earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for Hamnet, delivering one of the night’s standout performances.
Sean Penn wins — but doesn’t attend
In one of the evening’s most surprising moments, Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor for One Battle After Another but did not attend the ceremony.
Reports indicated that the veteran actor had traveled to Ukraine for activist work rather than attending the Oscars, meaning the award was accepted in his absence.
Historic first for cinematography
The ceremony also made history when Autumn Durald Arkapaw won Best Cinematography for Sinners, becoming the first woman ever to win the award at the Academy Awards.
Another milestone came when Cassandra Kulukundis won the first-ever Best Casting Oscar for One Battle After Another, marking the category’s debut.
Rare tie in short film category
Adding to the surprises, the Best Live-Action Short category ended in a rare tie, with both “The Singers” and “Two People Exchanging Saliva” sharing the award.
Other notable winners
Among other highlights, Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for Weapons, more than four decades after receiving her first Oscar nomination.
The animated feature “KPop Demon Hunters” won Best Animated Film and also claimed Best Original Song for “Golden.”
Meanwhile, Ludwig Göransson won Best Original Score for Sinners.
Special honors
The Academy also recognized several industry icons with special honors announced earlier.
Country music legend Dolly Parton received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her decades of philanthropic work, including her Imagination Library program that has distributed hundreds of millions of books to children worldwide.
Tom Cruise, Debbie Allen, and Wynn Thomas were also honored with Academy Honorary Awards for their contributions to cinema.
Major winners at the 2026 Oscars
Best Picture
Winner: One Battle After Another
Best Director
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson — One Battle After Another
Best Actor
Winner: Michael B. Jordan — Sinners
Best Actress
Winner: Jessie Buckley — Hamnet
Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Sean Penn — One Battle After Another
Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Amy Madigan — Weapons
Best International Feature Film
Winner: Sentimental Value (Norway)
Best Animated Feature
Winner: KPop Demon Hunters
Best Original Screenplay
Winner: Ryan Coogler — Sinners
Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson — One Battle After Another
Best Cinematography
Winner: Autumn Durald Arkapaw — Sinners
Best Original Score
Winner: Ludwig Göransson — Sinners
Best Visual Effects
Winner: Avatar: Fire and Ash
Best Sound
Winner: F1
Best Animated Short
Winner: The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Best Documentary Feature
Winner: Mr Nobody Against Putin
Best Documentary Short
Winner: All the Empty Rooms
