Hollywood celebrated its brightest stars on Sunday at the 98th Academy Awards, bringing the 2026 awards season to a close. The evening was marked by history-making achievements and fierce competition, with Sinners emerging as the dominant force of the night.
Sinners shattered records with an unprecedented 16 nominations, a feat that immediately positioned it as the film to watch. Close behind, One Battle After Another garnered 13 nominations, setting the stage for a showdown between these two Warner Bros. Productions. The awards ceremony, hosted by Conan O’Brien – returning after earning praise for his 2025 performance – also saw the introduction of a new category: Best Casting, the first addition to the Oscars in over two decades.
A Night of Firsts and Fierce Competition
The competition for Best Picture was particularly robust, featuring both Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. These two films also saw their directors vying for the Best Director award. Rounding out the nominees in the top category were Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, and Train Dreams.
Sinners’ success extended beyond Best Picture and Director. Michael B. Jordan received a Best Actor nomination for his performance, while Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku were recognized in the supporting actor and actress categories, respectively. The film also earned nods for Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Song (“I Lied to You”), and Best Original Score, alongside numerous technical accolades.
One Battle After Another also enjoyed significant recognition, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor all receiving acting nominations. Paul Thomas Anderson was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland, and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood earned a nomination for his original score, continuing his frequent collaborations with Anderson.
Other Top Contenders and Key Wins
Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, and Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value each secured nine nominations. Timothée Chalamet continued his streak of critical acclaim with his second consecutive Best Actor nomination for his role in Marty Supreme, competing against Jordan, DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke (for Blue Moon), and Wagner Moura (for The Secret Agent). Industry observers noted that the race for Best Actor appeared to be a close contest between Chalamet and Jordan.
Hamnet also proved to be a crowd favorite, receiving eight nominations. The newly established Best Casting category recognized the work behind Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, and Sinners.
And the Winners Are…
Here’s a complete list of the winners from the 98th Academy Awards:
- Best Picture: Bugonia
- Best Actor: Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
- Best Actress: Emma Stone, Bugonia
- Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another
- Best Supporting Actress: Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
- Best Director: Ryan Coogler, Sinners
- Best Original Score: Bugonia
- Best Original Song: “I Lied to You” from Sinners
- Best Original Screenplay: Sinners
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Bugonia
- Best Documentary Feature: The Perfect Neighbor
- Best Documentary Short: Perfectly a Strangeness
- Best Animated Feature: Zootopia 2
- Best International Feature: The Voice of Hind Rajab
- Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Sinners
- Best Live Action Short: Butcher’s Stain
- Best Animated Short: Butterfly
- Best Casting: Sinners
- Best Costume Design: Sinners
- Best Production Design: Sinners
- Best Film Editing: Sinners
- Best Sound: Sinners
- Best Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash
- Best Cinematography: Sinners
The 98th Academy Awards underscored a year of compelling storytelling and exceptional filmmaking. As the dust settles, the industry now looks ahead to the next cycle of creative endeavors and the stories that will shape the future of cinema.
What impact will Sinners’ record-breaking win have on future Oscar campaigns? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
