Oscars 2026: One Battle After Another Wins

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Paul Thomas Anderson’s political thriller “One Battle After Another” took home the Academy Award for best picture at Sunday’s 98th Oscars ceremony, earning six trophies in total, while Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” claimed four awards including best actor for Michael B. Jordan. The politically charged epic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a retired revolutionary drawn back into action, dominated the night’s major categories, defeating “Sinners” — which entered with a record-breaking 16 nominations — in a closely watched race for the top prize. Sources covering the ceremony include Los Angeles Times, CBS News, Associated Press, PBS NewsHour, Al Jazeera, and The Playlist. Each of the bullet points immediately below have been confirmed by at least four of the six respected sources we curated on this story.

Core Facts

• “One Battle After Another” won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 98th Oscars ceremony held March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
• The film earned six Oscars total, including Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn, Best Film Editing, and the inaugural Best Casting award for Cassandra Kulukundis.
• Michael B. Jordan won his first Oscar for Best Actor for his dual performance as twin brothers Smoke and Stack in “Sinners.”
• Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for her role in “Hamnet,” marking her first Academy Award.
• “Sinners” won four Academy Awards total, including Best Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler, Best Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw — who became the first woman to win in this category — and Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson.
• “Sinners” entered the ceremony with a record-breaking 16 nominations, the most for any film in Oscar history.
• Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for “Weapons.”

Additional Details Reported

The ceremony was hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien, who presided over the 98th annual Academy Awards honoring films released in 2025. During his acceptance speech, Anderson acknowledged the film’s breakout star Chase Infiniti, calling her “the heart of this movie.” Producer Sara Murphy accepted alongside Anderson, dedicating the win to the late Adam Somner. “One Battle After Another” had been an early favorite after sweeping most major industry prizes including the PGA Award, but “Sinners” gained momentum after winning top prizes at the recent Actor Awards. In his remarks, Anderson referenced the competitive 1975 Oscars when “Dog Day Afternoon,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” and “Jaws” competed, noting “there is no best among them.” The film has collected $209.4 million at the worldwide box office and is now available to stream on HBO Max.

Other winners included “KPop Demon Hunters” for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Golden,” “Sentimental Value” from Norway for Best International Feature, and “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” for Best Documentary Feature. “Frankenstein” earned two technical awards for Production Design and Costume Design, while “Avatar: Fire and Ash” won Best Visual Effects.

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