The 98th Academy Awards, held on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, was a night of long-awaited coronations and historic firsts.
After decades of being one of Hollywood’s most “lionized” filmmakers without a win, Paul Thomas Anderson finally took home both Best Picture and Best Director for ‘One Battle After Another’.
The film, a multi-generational political thriller based on Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, was the evening’s biggest victor, clinching six awards in total.
Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan won for his dual role as twin brothers in the vampire epic ‘Sinners’. His win was one of the most celebrated of the night, receiving a thunderous standing ovation as he became the first person to win this category for playing twins.
Best Actress: Jessie Buckley made history as the first Irish woman to win Best Actress for her portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare in the period drama ‘Hamnet’.
Best Supporting Actor: Sean Penn secured his third acting Oscar for ‘One Battle After Another’, joining a rare elite club that includes Daniel Day-Lewis and Jack Nicholson.
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan won for ‘Weapons’, setting a record for the longest gap between a first nomination and a first victory (40 years).
Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman of color—and only the first woman ever—to win Best Cinematography for her work on ‘Sinners’.
Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ dominated the craft categories, winning for Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
In a moment of genuine shock, the Best Live Action Short category ended in a tie between ‘The Singers’ and ‘Two People Exchanging Saliva’.
The third installment of the Avatar franchise continued its streak of technical dominance. It took home the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, keeping the franchise’s record perfect in this category. Visual effects supervisor Richard Baneham accepted the award, marking his third win for the series.
The ceremony featured moving tributes to industry legends lost over the past year, including Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, and Rob Reiner.
