The 98th Academy Awards (Oscars 2026) happened on March 15, 2026, at the famous Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. It was an exciting and emotional night full of big wins, historic firsts, powerful performances, and some strong messages about peace. Comedian Conan O’Brien hosted the show again and kept everyone laughing with his smart jokes.
Many top Hollywood stars walked the red carpet and attended, including:
- Nicole Kidman
- Priyanka Chopra Jonas (with her husband Nick Jonas)
- Robert Downey Jr.
- Anne Hathaway
- Chris Evans
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- And more!
A very talked-about moment came when Spanish actor Javier Bardem presented an award alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas. On stage, he clearly said, “No to war, and Free Palestine”. The audience gave a huge round of applause, making it one of the most memorable and discussed parts of the night, especially with ongoing global tensions.
Here are the major winners and some highlights:
- Best Picture: One Battle After Another directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. This film was nominated for 13 awards and won 6 Oscars total — the biggest winner of the night!
- Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another — his first Oscar win after many nominations over the years. He got a long standing ovation!
- Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan for Sinners — his first Oscar, for playing twins in this vampire horror film.
- Best Actress: Jessie Buckley for Hamnet — she became the first Irish actor to win in this category and dedicated it to “the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.”
- Best Supporting Actor: Sean Penn for One Battle After Another — this tied a record for him!
- Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan for Weapons — she won the first award of the night after waiting 40 years since her first nomination. She said, “What’s different is I’ve got this little gold guy!”
- Best Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler for Sinners — another first-time win, with a joyful moment when his Marvel friends presented it.
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another.
- Best Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters.
- Best Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw for Sinners — she made history as the first woman to win this award!
- Other notable wins: Sinners got 16 nominations (a record) and won 4 awards total, including best original score and more. There was also a rare tie in Best Live-Action Short Film.
One special highlight was the powerful live performance from Sinners of the song “I Lied to You.” It featured breakout star Miles Caton, along with big musicians like Raphael Saadiq, Shaboozey, Brittany Howard, and even ballet star Misty Copeland. The crowd loved it — it felt full of energy and emotion!
The horror movie Sinners broke records with nominations but didn’t take Best Picture. Still, it had a huge night.
A touching moment came from the first-ever Iranian documentary nominated: Cracking the Rocks. The directors spoke on the red carpet about dedicating it to the people of Iran facing hard times.
The show ran about 3 hours and 40 minutes, mixing fun, surprises, historic wins, emotional speeches, and calls for peace. It was a night that celebrated great movies while reminding everyone about bigger issues in the world.
Here are some beautiful pictures of the stars and moments from the 2026 Oscars night:
