98th Academy Awards: One Battle After Another Leads With Six Oscars, Sinners Dominates Technical Categories

Hollywood's biggest night of the year celebrated cinematic excellence on Sunday March 15,2026 at the 98th Academy Awards, honoring films released in 2025. "One Battle After Another" emerged as the evening's biggest winner, taking home six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn, and the inaugural Best Casting award. Oscars 2026 Takeaways: 'One Battle After Another' Takes Top Honors - The New York Times Standout performances were also recognized. Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for his role in Sinners, while Jessie Buckley ear

Hollywood's biggest night of the year celebrated cinematic excellence on Sunday March 15,2026 at the 98th Academy Awards, honoring films released in 2025. "One Battle After Another" emerged as the evening's biggest winner, taking home six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn, and the inaugural Best Casting award.

Oscars 2026 Takeaways: 'One Battle After Another' Takes Top Honors - The New York Times

Standout performances were also recognized. Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for his role in Sinners, while Jessie Buckley earned Best Actress for Hamnet. In supporting roles, Amy Madigan took home Best Supporting Actress for Weapons.

US actor Michael B. Jordan won the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for "Sinners" onstage during the 98th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 15, 2026. Photo: AFP

Jessie Buckley Won Best Actress Oscar for 'Hamnet'

Other major wins included:

Best Original Screenplay: Sinners – Ryan Coogler

Ryan Coogler won best original screenplay Oscar for Sinners | Oscars 2026 | The Guardian

Best Adapted Screenplay: One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson

One Battle After Another': Paul Thomas Anderson Won Writing Oscar

Best Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters' won Oscar for best animated film | AP News

Best International Feature Film: Sentimental Value (Norway)

Sentimental Value becomes first Norwegian film to win best international feature Oscar | Oscars 2026 | The Guardian

Best Documentary Feature: Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Mr. Nobody Against Putin' won best documentary feature Oscar | Reuters

Best Original Score: Sinners

Oscars 2026: Ludwig Göransson Won Best Original Score for Sinners | Pitchfork

Best Sound: Sinners

Oscar 2026: Sinners won the Best Sound /Los Angeles Times

Best Visual Effects: The Brutalist

Oscar 2026: The Brutalist won Best Visual Effects

Autumn Durald Arkapaw won Best Cinematography for Sinners, becoming the first woman ever to win the award. Arkapaw, who is of Filipino and African American Creole descent, is also the first woman of color and first Black person to claim the prize in the category's 98-year history.

Autumn Durald Arkapaw won Best Cinematography for Sinners Oscars Show 2026 Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Sunday's ceremony highlighted films that combined technical innovation with socially resonant storytelling. One Battle After Another, a sweeping exploration of personal and political conflict, resonated with audiences for its storytelling depth and cinematic craftsmanship. Sinners, meanwhile, proved a dominant technical force, sweeping the below-the-line categories.