Oscars 2026: 'One Battle' Wins Big, Women Make History

A Triumphant Night for Paul Thomas Anderson

Hollywood's biggest night delivered both a decisive champion and a landmark moment for diversity on Sunday, March 15, as the 98th Academy Awards crowned Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another the year's best film. The picture walked away with six Oscars in total, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Achievement in Casting — an inaugural category making its debut this year.

Anderson, long considered one of Hollywood's most visionary directors, finally claimed his first-ever directing and screenplay wins after decades of nominations. The sweep signaled a strong industry consensus around a film that had dominated the awards season.

Acting Honors Spread Across Hollywood

Michael B. Jordan claimed his first Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual performance as twin brothers Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler's vampire saga Sinners. In his acceptance speech, Jordan shouted out Denzel Washington and Will Smith as inspirations. Sinners ultimately took home four awards on the night, cementing its place as one of the ceremony's biggest winners alongside Anderson's film.

Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for her portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare — wife of the playwright — in Hamnet, a literary period drama that resonated strongly with Academy voters. Amy Madigan claimed Best Supporting Actress for her work in Weapons.

Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor for One Battle After Another, but in a striking absence, chose not to attend the ceremony. Penn's no-show drew significant commentary, with no public explanation provided ahead of the telecast, according to CTV News.

A Historic Barrier Broken in Cinematography

The evening's most enduring milestone belonged to Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the director of photography on Sinners, who became the first woman in the Academy's 98-year history to win Best Cinematography. Arkapaw, of Filipino and African American Creole descent, is also the first woman of color to claim the prize — a category that had nominated only three women prior: Rachel Morrison (2018), Ari Wegner (2021), and Mandy Walker (2022).

Arkapaw had already broken ground by becoming the first female cinematographer to shoot on IMAX 65mm and Ultra Panavision, as Variety reported. Her win was widely celebrated as a long-overdue recognition of women's contributions behind the camera.

Politics Casts a Long Shadow

The ceremony unfolded under an unusually charged political atmosphere. Taking place just two weeks after President Donald Trump announced major U.S.-Israel military strikes against Iran, the Dolby Theatre operated under the tightest security in Oscar history, with concentric rings of protection including rooftop snipers and AI surveillance, per the Hollywood Reporter.

On the red carpet, stars wore pins and symbols calling for peace. Spanish actor Javier Bardem wore a "No a la guerra" (No to war) pin and declared from the stage: "No to war and free Palestine," drawing loud applause. Host Conan O'Brien acknowledged "very chaotic, frightening times," framing the Oscars as a tribute to global artistic collaboration.

The FCC's threats against broadcast licenses — which Trump promoted on Truth Social just before the show began — loomed over the network airing the ceremony, adding an additional layer of tension to an already politically fraught evening, as PBS NewsHour noted.

A Ceremony That Reflected Its Moment

The 98th Academy Awards managed to be both a celebration of craft and a mirror of a turbulent world. With One Battle After Another dominating the trophies, Autumn Durald Arkapaw shattering a nearly century-old barrier, and filmmakers using the global stage to speak out, the 2026 Oscars will be remembered as one of the more consequential ceremonies in recent memory.