One Battle After Another wins Best Picture; Michael B. Jordan bags Best Actor for Sinners at Oscars 2026

The 98th Academy Awards delivered a memorable night for global cinema as One Battle After Another emerged as the biggest winner, taking home the prestigious Best Picture award along with several other major honours. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film dominated the ceremony with six Oscars, including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

One of the most celebrated moments of the evening came when Michael B. Jordan won the Best Actor award for his performance in Sinners, marking the first Oscar victory of his career. Jessie Buckley secured the Best Actress award for Hamnet, while Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor for One Battle After Another. Amy Madigan claimed the Best Supporting Actress trophy for her role in Weapons.

In the screenplay categories, Ryan Coogler won Best Original Screenplay for Sinners, while Paul Thomas Anderson took Best Adapted Screenplay for One Battle After Another. Other technical and artistic honours included Best Cinematography for Sinners (Autumn Durald Arkapaw) and Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson.

Several international and genre films also made their mark. Sentimental Value won Best International Feature Film, while Mr. Nobody Against Putin received Best Documentary Feature. The animated film KPop Demon Hunters won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Golden,” while Avatar: Fire and Ash won Best Visual Effects and F1 took the Best Sound award.