The 98th Academy Awards, also referred to as the Oscars, took place on March 15, 2026. It was a night of historic firsts, and was primarily dominated by “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.” It also featured homages to Rob Reiner, Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, and more. Hosted by Conan O’Brien, he kept the crowd laughing between the wins.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” took home six Oscars out of 13 nominations. The film won awards for Best Picture and Best Directing, awarded to Paul Thomas Anderson; Best Film Editing, awarded to Andy Jurgensen; Best Adapted Screenplay, awarded to Paul Thomas Anderson; Best Supporting Actor, awarded to Sean Penn; and Best Casting, awarded to Cassandra Kulukundis.
Cassandra Kulukundis’s award for Casting was one of the historic firsts. In the Academy’s 98-year history, this was the first time that an Oscar has been awarded for casting. As stated by the Greek Reporter, “For Kulukundis, a Greek-American who has spent decades shaping some of modern cinema’s most iconic ensembles, the award was not just personal recognition but a long-awaited victory for her entire profession.” For her entire profession, this award will give casting directors recognition for their contribution to filmmaking.
Additionally, Paul Thomas Anderson’s win for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay marked his first-ever Oscar wins of his career, which has been three-decades.
Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” won a total of six Oscars. The film won: Best Actor, awarded to Michael B. Jordan for his role as twins Smoke and Stack; Best Original Screenplay, awarded to Ryan Coogler; Best Cinematography, awarded to Autumn Durald Arkapaw; and Best Original Score, awarded to Ludwig Göransson.
Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s win was also a historic moment. Before this year, the Best Cinematography category was the only original Oscar category that had never been won by a woman. Autumn Durald Arkapaw is Afro-Filipina, so her victory made her the first woman, the first Black person, and the first person of Filipino descent to ever win the Oscar for Best Cinematography.
There were many other people that need to be commended for their awards and accomplishments. Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for her role in “Hamnet”; Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Weapons”; “K-Pop Demon Hunters” won Best Animated Feature; “Sentimental Value” from Norway won Best International Feature Film; “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” won Best Documentary Feature; “Avatar: Fire and Ash” won Best Visual Effects; “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters won Best Original Song; “F1” won Best Sound; “Frankenstein” won Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling; “The Girl Who Cried Pearls” won Best Animated Short; and “All the Empty Rooms” won Best Documentary Short.
“The Singers” and “Two People Exchanging Saliva” tied for Best Live Action Short, marking another historic moment. Ties are incredibly rare because current rules require the vote count to be an absolute match. There have only been seven ties in the history of the Academy Awards. The most recent instance was in 2013, when “Skyfall” and “Zero Dark Thirty” tied for Best Sound Editing. The first instance was in 1932, at the 5th Academy Awards, when Wallace Beery and Fredric March tied for best actor. According to Business Insider, “However, it was not a true tie. The two came within one vote of each other, and under Academy rules at the time, they shared the award.”
Overall, the 98th Academy Awards, or the Oscars, was a historic night for many. “One Battle After Another” took home Best Picture along with various other awards, marking a huge career milestone for director Anderson. Kulukundis won Best Casting, a completely new award, Arkapaw was the first woman to win the Best Cinematography award, and “The Singers” and “Two People Exchanging Saliva” tied for Best Live Action Short.
