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culture

Oscars 2026 recap: The biggest winners and best moments

PHOTO: Jessie Buckley, Oscar winner for Best Actress in a Leading Role for 'Hamnet,' poses with Michael B. Jordan, Oscar winner for Best Actor in a Leading Role for 'Sinners' at the 98th Academy Awards, March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, Calif.
4:26
Jill Connelly/EPA/Shutterstock
Backstage with Oscars’ biggest winners
By Mason Leib, Angeline Jane Bernabe, Emily Shapiro, Katie Kindelan
Last Updated: March 16, 2026, 2:46 AM

The biggest and brightest stars from across Hollywood and the world of entertainment gathered in Los Angeles on Sunday for the 98th Academy Awards.

"One Battle After Another" won the Oscar for best picture, while Jessie Buckley and Michael B. Jordan took home the Academy Awards for leading actress and leading actor. "One Battle After Another" won six total Oscars -- including best picture -- out of 13 nominations.

Scroll below to see how the night unfolded.


Mar 16, 2026 2:46 AM

'One Battle After Another' wins best picture

"One Battle After Another" has won the highly coveted Oscar for best picture.

Producer Sara Murphy took the stage alongside Paul Thomas Anderson to accept the final award of the night.

“Getting to make this film with this cast and this crew and Paul has already been the greatest filmmaking experience I can fathom so receiving this award is just beyond -- my heart is exploding with gratitude,” Murphy said.

PHOTO: Director Paul Thomas Anderson and the cast and crew celebrate as they accept the Oscar for Best Picture for "One Battle after Another" at the 98th Academy Awards, March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, Calif.
Mike Blake/Reuters
Director Paul Thomas Anderson and the cast and crew celebrate as they accept the Oscar for Best Picture for "One Battle after Another" at the 98th Academy Awards, March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, Calif.
Mike Blake/Reuters

Anderson closed out the show saying, “What a night, you guys, Let's have a martini. This is amazing. Cheers.”

Other nominees in the category included "Bugonia," "F1," "Frankenstein," "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme," "The Secret Agent," "Sentimental Value," "Sinners" and "Train Dreams."


Mar 16, 2026 2:41 AM

Jessie Buckley wins best actress in a leading role

Jessie Buckley won her first Oscar for best actress in a leading role for her work in "Hamnet."

PHOTO: Irish actress Jessie Buckley is embraced as she walks to accept the award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for "Hamnet" at the 98th Academy Awards, March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, Calif.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
Irish actress Jessie Buckley is embraced as she walks to accept the award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for "Hamnet" at the 98th Academy Awards, March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, Calif.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
PHOTO: Jessie Buckley accepts the Actress in a Leading Role award for "Hamnet" at the 98th Academy Awards, March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, Calif.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Jessie Buckley accepts the Actress in a Leading Role award for "Hamnet" at the 98th Academy Awards, March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, Calif.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images


Buckley, who is Irish, highlighted that today is Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom.

“So I would like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother's heart,” she said in her acceptance speech. “We all come from a lineage of women who continue to create against all odds.”

Other nominees in the category were Rose Byrne ("If I Had Legs I'd Kick You") Kate Hudson ("Song Sung Blue"), Renate Reinsve ("Sentimental Value") and Emma Stone ("Bugonia").

Buckley acknowledged her fellow nominees in her speech, saying, “I am inspired by your art and your heart, and I want to work with every single one of you."


Mar 16, 2026 2:30 AM

Michael B. Jordan wins best actor in a leading role

Michael B. Jordan won the Oscar for best actor in a leading role for his work in "Sinners."

Jordan highlighted his family in the crowd in his acceptance speech, he also recognized his relationship with 'Sinners" director Ryan Coogler in his speech.

"You're an amazing, amazing person. I'm so honored to call you a collaborator and a friend, and you gave me the opportunity and space for me to be seen, and I love you, too, bro, love you to death," he said.

PHOTO: Michael B. Jordan accepts the Actor in a Leading Role award for "Sinners" at the 98th Academy Awards, March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, Calif.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Michael B. Jordan accepts the Actor in a Leading Role award for "Sinners" at the 98th Academy Awards, March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, Calif.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

He finished with a message of gratitude for his supporters, saying, "Thank you for ... betting on me, and I'm going to keep stepping up, and I'm going to keep being the best version of myself I can be."

Other nominees in the category included Timothée Chalamet ("Marty Supreme"), Leonardo DiCaprio ("One Battle After Another"), Ethan Hawke ("Blue Moon") and Wagner Moura ("The Secret Agent").



Mar 16, 2026 2:20 AM

Paul Thomas Anderson wins best director

Paul Thomas Anderson won the Oscar for best director for "One Battle After Another,” his second win of the night after taking home the Oscar for best adapted screenplay.

PHOTO: Paul Thomas Anderson accepts the Oscar for Best Director for "One Battle after Another" at the 98th Academy Awards, March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, Calif.
Mike Blake/Reuters
Paul Thomas Anderson accepts the Oscar for Best Director for "One Battle after Another" at the 98th Academy Awards, March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, Calif.
Mike Blake/Reuters


"The best part about being on a film crew is being with people, because we need each other," he said in his acceptance speech. "This is a wonderful gift, and I'm so happy to call the movies home."

Other nominees in the category were Chloé Zhao ("Hamnet"), Josh Safdie ("Marty Supreme"), Joachim Trier ("Sentimental Value") and Ryan Coogler ("Sinners").


Mar 16, 2026 12:31 AM

'KPop Demon Hunters' filmmakers react to Oscar win

After their winning best animated feature for "KPop Demon Hunters," filmmakers Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans and Michelle Wong reacted to their historic Oscar win while speaking to press in the Oscars press room.

PHOTO: Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans and Michelle L.M. Wong pose with the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film for "KPop Demon Hunters" in the Oscars photo room at the 98th Academy Awards in Hollywood, March 15, 2026.
Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans and Michelle L.M. Wong pose with the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film for "KPop Demon Hunters" in the Oscars photo room at the 98th Academy Awards in Hollywood, March 15, 2026.
Mario Anzuoni/Reuters


Kang talked about her love for K-Pop music and having the genre being "beloved by audiences globally just means so much to me."

"It was a real honor to feature all aspects of my culture that I loved," she said. ""It’s just so meaningful as a Korean filmmaker. I just hope to see more films, especially in animation that focuses on different cultures. We really need that."

Read more about "KPop Demon Hunters" Oscar win here.


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