Oscars 2026: ‘One Battle After Another’ Awarded Best Picture; Michael B Jordan Wins for ‘Sinners’, Jessie Buckley for ‘Hamnet’

The 98th Academy Awards concluded with One Battle After Another taking home best picture, capping a ceremony that also saw major acting wins for Michael B. Jordan and Jessie Buckley.

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another had been among the year’s most celebrated films, earning multiple nominations across the major categories. The film prevailed over a strong best picture lineup that included Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners and Train Dreams.

Earlier in the ceremony, Anderson won his first Oscar for best adapted screenplay for One Battle After Another. He quickly followed that with a win for best director. By the end of the ceremony, the film had collected six Oscars in total, including directing and adapted screenplay for Anderson and supporting actor for Sean Penn, who was not present at the ceremony.

Jordan won best actor for his performance in Sinners, the genre-blending period film written and directed by Ryan Coogler. Set in the Jim Crow-era American South, the film follows twin brothers returning to their hometown only to confront a supernatural evil, with Jordan playing both roles in a dual performance that became one of the year’s most widely praised turns.

The film itself had dominated this year’s nominations, earning a record 16 nods across categories and becoming one of the most talked-about releases of the awards season. The best actor category also featured a competitive slate of contenders including Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon and Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent.

In the best actress race, Buckley won for her performance in Hamnet, beating fellow nominees Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue, Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value and Emma Stone for Bugonia.