The 98th Academy Awards delivered a historic night of major wins, milestones, and a competitive race between two of the year’s biggest films, as “One Battle After Another” emerged as the top winner at the 2026 Oscars.
“I really do think ‘One Battle After Another’ deserved Best Picture,” said OH senior Hassan Lawal. “‘Sinners’ also deserved the award, but you have to give credit to the underdogs, too.”
“One Battle After Another” took home 6 Oscars, including Best Picture, and the film dominated the night, winning awards for Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson), Best Supporting Actor (Sean Penn), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Casting.
“[Micheal B. Jordan] deserved it, and it’s been a long time. He’s been needing this Oscar, he’s been deserving it, and I love all his films,” said OH senior Rayven Elerson.
Michael B. Jordan won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Sinners, delivering one of the most notable victories of the night at the 2026 Oscars, making history for his acting career.
“I was at home watching [the Oscars], making sure everything was going as it should,” said Elerson.
“Sinners” secured wins for best original screenplay, cinematography, and original score, while Frankenstein earned three awards, including production design, makeup, and hairstyling.
“’Sinners’ was most definitely the best movie in 2025; they deserve all the awards that night,” said OH senior Arda Simsek.
The ceremony also debuted a new category, introducing best casting, the first new competitive Oscar they’ve shown to the public in over two decades.
For animation, “KPop Demon Hunters” won best animated feature and best original song for “Golden,” which made history as a rare K-pop win in the category.
Despite the widely praised results, viewership dipped to about 17.9 million, a four-year low, though the broadcast still ranked as the most popular entertainment program of the night
“The Oscars have improved so much over the years, definitely one of the best award shows in the past decade,” said Lawal.
Overall, the 2026 Oscars reflected a balance between blockbuster filmmaking and artistic storytelling, with awards spread across multiple categories while still recognizing a clear frontrunner in “One Battle After Another.”
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