One Battle After Another
The 98th Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026, will be remembered as the night Paul Thomas Anderson finally received his long-awaited “flowers.” In a ceremony that balanced high-stakes drama with sharp-witted humor—thanks to returning host Conan O’Brien—Anderson’s counter-culture epic, One Battle After Another, emerged as the undisputed titan of the evening, securing six Oscars including Best Picture.
The film, a sprawling, multi-generational adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, marked a career-defining moment for Anderson. After decades of being one of Hollywood’s most lionized yet Oscar-less filmmakers, he took home both Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. “There will always be some doubt in your heart that you deserve it,” Anderson remarked during his emotional acceptance speech, “but there is no question at the pleasure of having it for myself.”
Historic Firsts in the Acting Categories
While Anderson’s film swept the night, the acting categories provided some of the most historic moments in the Academy’s 98-year history.
- Michael B. Jordan secured his first-ever Oscar for Best Actor for his dual role as identical twins Elijah “Smoke” and Elias “Stack” Moore in Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller, Sinners. Jordan is the first actor to win the top prize for playing twins and becomes the sixth Black man to win the award.
- Jessie Buckley made history as the first Irish woman to win Best Actress for her devastating performance in Chloé Zhao’s Shakespearean drama, Hamnet. Her win was met with a standing ovation, cementing her status as one of the finest performers of her generation.
- Amy Madigan took home Best Supporting Actress for her villainous turn in the horror hit Weapons. At 75, Madigan set a record for the longest gap between a first nomination (1986) and a win.
- Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw in One Battle After Another. Notably, Penn was absent from the ceremony, leading presenter Kieran Culkin to joke, “Sean Penn couldn’t be here tonight… or didn’t want to.”
Breaking the “Glass Lens”: Technical Achievements
The 2026 Oscars also shattered significant barriers in the craft categories. Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman to win Best Cinematography for her visually arresting work on Sinners. This milestone was a highlight of the technical awards, where Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein also performed strongly, sweeping Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Additionally, the Academy introduced its first new category in decades: Achievement in Casting. The inaugural trophy went to Cassandra Kulukundis for One Battle After Another, acknowledging the complex task of assembling Anderson’s massive ensemble cast.
Viral Moments and the “Chalamet Controversy”
Host Conan O’Brien kept the energy high, though the night wasn’t without its tensions. Many of the evening’s jokes were directed at Timothée Chalamet, whose recent disparaging comments about ballet and opera (“Nobody cares anymore”) became a recurring theme. Even Alexandre Singh, winning for Best Live Action Short, took a swipe at Chalamet during his speech, emphasizing that art—including ballet—remains a vital tool for social change.
The 98th Academy Awards: Full Winners List
| Category | Winner | Film |
| Best Picture | Paul Thomas Anderson & Sara Murphy | 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 Original Screenplay | Ryan Coogler | Sinners |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Paul Thomas Anderson | One Battle After Another |
| Best Animated Feature | Maggie Kang & Chris Applehans | KPop Demon Hunters |
| Best International Feature | Joachim Trier (Norway) | Sentimental Value |
| Best Cinematography | Autumn Durald Arkapaw | Sinners |
| Best Film Editing | Andy Jurgensen | One Battle After Another |
| Best Visual Effects | Eric Saindon, et al. | Avatar: Fire and Ash |
| Best Casting | Cassandra Kulukundis | One Battle After Another |
As the night concluded, the victory for One Battle After Another felt like a celebration of high-concept, auteur-driven cinema. Despite being a “box-office disappointment” by blockbuster standards, the film’s critical dominance suggests that the Academy is increasingly leaning toward protecting the legacy of the “big screen masterpiece.”
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