The 98th Academy Awards 2026: Key Winners and Historic Moments

 

The 98th Academy Awards 2026: Key Winners and Historic Moments

On March 15, 2026 (local time), the 98th Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Conan O'Brien returned as host for the second consecutive year, presiding over 24 competitive categories. With film fans around the world watching closely, the night produced several historic milestones.

Global Search Interest

Interest in this year's Academy Awards was substantial worldwide. Search volumes by country were as follows:

  • 🇺🇸 US (United States): 2.3M+ searches
  • 🇨🇦 CA (Canada): 260.0K+ searches
  • 🇲🇽 MX (Mexico): 181.5K+ searches
  • 🇦🇺 AU (Australia): 59.5K+ searches
  • 🇬🇧 GB (United Kingdom): 53.0K+ searches
  • 🇧🇷 BR (Brazil): 52.0K+ searches
  • 🇩🇪 DE (Germany): 36.3K+ searches
  • 🇪🇸 ES (Spain): 27.0K+ searches
  • 🇮🇳 IN (India): 15.5K+ searches
  • 🇫🇷 FR (France): 11.0K+ searches
  • 🇮🇹 IT (Italy): 6.0K+ searches
  • 🇻🇳 VN (Vietnam): 4.0K+ searches
  • 🇯🇵 JP (Japan): 3.2K+ searches
  • 🇹🇷 TR (Turkey): 2.7K+ searches
  • 🇮🇩 ID (Indonesia): 2.6K+ searches
  • 🇪🇬 EG (Egypt): 1.7K+ searches
  • 🇸🇦 SA (Saudi Arabia): 1.7K+ searches
  • 🇰🇷 KR (South Korea): 1.6K+ searches
  • 🇹🇼 TW (Taiwan): 1.4K+ searches
  • 🇵🇰 PK (Pakistan): 1.0K+ searches

With over 2.3 million searches in the United States alone, the Oscars once again confirmed its place as the world's most-watched film awards ceremony.

Best Picture: "One Battle After Another" Takes Six Oscars

Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" dominated the night, winning six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and the newly created Best Casting award. Producer Sara Murphy joined Anderson on stage to accept Best Picture, with Anderson closing out the evening saying it had been "a truly incredible night."

"Sinners" entered the ceremony with a record-breaking 16 nominations, while "One Battle After Another" followed closely with 13 nominations.

Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan ("Sinners")

Michael B. Jordan took home Best Actor for his performance in "Sinners." In his acceptance speech, he paid tribute to director Ryan Coogler, saying "You are an incredible person, and you gave me the opportunity and the space to be seen." Jordan's win drew global attention as a landmark achievement for Black actors in Oscar history.

Best Actress: Jessie Buckley ("Hamnet")

Jessie Buckley won her first Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in "Hamnet." The Irish actress told the audience in her speech, "We all come from a lineage of women who kept creating no matter the odds." Her win completed a clean sweep of the awards season, having previously taken home the Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award, SAG Award, and BAFTA.

Best Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw — A Historic First

One of the most celebrated historic moments of the night came in the cinematography category. Autumn Durald Arkapaw won Best Cinematography for "Sinners," becoming the first woman in Academy history to win in this category.

Arkapaw is also the first Black cinematographer to receive this award. In her acceptance speech, she thanked director Ryan Coogler and invited every woman in the audience to stand, sharing the moment with all of them.

Arkapaw first collaborated with Coogler on the Marvel film "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," and Coogler is known for having worked exclusively with female cinematographers across his entire filmography.

"Sinners" Sets an All-Time Nomination Record

Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" received nominations in a record-breaking 16 categories, surpassing the previous record of 14 held by "All About Eve" (1950), "Titanic" (1997), and "La La Land" (2016). The film also set a new record for the most Black nominees from a single film, with 10 Black nominees across various categories.

"Sinners" ultimately won four awards: Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score.

The Oscars' First-Ever Casting Award

For the first time since the introduction of the Best Animated Feature category in 2001, a brand-new competitive category was added to the Oscars: Best Casting. The Academy announced the creation of this category in February 2024, stating that "casting directors play an essential role in filmmaking." The inaugural Best Casting award went to Cassandra Kulukundis for "One Battle After Another."

Best Animated Feature: "KPop Demon Hunters" — K-Pop Makes Oscar History

"KPop Demon Hunters" won Best Animated Feature, and its original song "Golden" took home Best Original Song, making it the first K-pop song ever to win an Academy Award. The win was a powerful reminder of the continued global influence of Korean pop culture on the world stage.

Winners at a Glance

Category Winner
Best Picture One Battle After Another
Best Director Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Best Actor Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Best Actress Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
Best Supporting Actor Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)
Best Supporting Actress Amy Madigan (Weapons)
Best Cinematography Autumn Durald Arkapaw (Sinners)
Best Original Screenplay Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
Best Casting (inaugural) Cassandra Kulukundis (One Battle After Another)
Best Animated Feature KPop Demon Hunters
Best Original Song "Golden" (KPop Demon Hunters)
Best International Feature Film Sentimental Value (Norway)

Red Carpet and Ceremony Highlights

Conan O'Brien kicked off the ceremony with a comedic opening, appearing dressed as Aunt Gladys from the nominated film "Weapons." The opening segment also featured tributes to several of the nominated films, setting a lively and entertaining tone for the evening.

References

  • The Academy (Official): https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2026
  • ABC News — Full Winners List: https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/oscars-2026-full-winners-list/story?id=130769299
  • NPR — Winners List: https://www.npr.org/2026/03/15/nx-s1-5739287/oscars-2026-winners-list-best-picture-actor-actress
  • Hollywood Reporter: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/oscars-2026-winners-list/
  • NBC News — Live Updates: https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/live-blog/oscars-2026-winners-academy-awards-red-carpet-host-watch-live-updates-rcna261828
  • Slate — Cinematography History: https://slate.com/culture/2026/03/oscars-2026-winners-sinners-cinematography-autumn-durald-arkapaw.html
  • Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/3/15/oscars-2026-live-sinners-one-battle-after-another-race-for-academy-gold

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