The 2026 Oscars Were Historic. Here's What You Missed.
Hollywood gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 15, for the 98th Academy Awards for a ceremony that balanced blockbuster victories with deeply emotional tributes and a few record-shattering moments along the way.
Comedian Conan O'Brien returned as host for the second consecutive year, keeping the evening lively while navigating a telecast full of genuine feeling. When the night was over, Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another stood tallest, having claimed six Oscars including Best Picture. But the ceremony belonged just as much to its quieter, more personal moments.
The Big Winners
One Battle After Another dominated the night, taking home a leading six awards. Director Paul Thomas Anderson swept the filmmaker categories, winning both Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film also made history by claiming the inaugural Oscar for Best Achievement in Casting — the first new competitive category introduced by the Academy since Best Animated Feature was created back in 2001 — with casting director Cassandra Kulukundis accepting the prize.
While Anderson's film led the pack, the acting awards were spread across multiple films. Michael B. Jordan won his first Oscar for Best Actor for his transformative dual performance as twins Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler's vampire epic Sinners — the same film that made history this year with a record-breaking 16 nominations, surpassing the previous record of 14 held by All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land. Coogler himself also took home Best Original Screenplay, his first Oscar win.
Jessie Buckley was named Best Actress for her portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet, and Amy Madigan claimed Best Supporting Actress for her haunting work in Zach Cregger's horror film Weapons. Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor for One Battle After Another, cementing his place in Oscar history (more on that below).
KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix's animated feature about a K-pop girl group that battles demons by night, rounded out a strong showing by taking home both Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for "Golden."
Sean Penn Makes History
One of the evening's most discussed moments never actually unfolded on the Dolby Theatre stage. Sean Penn, who won Best Supporting Actor for his villainous turn as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw in One Battle After Another, did not attend the ceremony. Presenter Kieran Culkin accepted on his behalf.
The absence itself had been a subject of considerable intrigue in the lead-up to the show. Penn had skipped several key campaign events, including the BAFTA ceremony and various awards stops, leaving the category's outcome genuinely uncertain.
He ultimately prevailed, however, and the win elevated him into singular company: with three career acting Oscars, Penn now ties the all-time record for male acting wins, joining Jack Nicholson, Walter Brennan, and Daniel Day-Lewis. His previous wins came for lead performances in Mystic River and Milk. This third Oscar, notably, is his first for a supporting role.
Amy Madigan's 40-Year Wait
In one of the night's most warmly received moments, Amy Madigan, 75, took home Best Supporting Actress for Weapons — and in doing so set a remarkable record.
The win came 40 years and one month after her first Oscar nomination, for 1985's Twice in a Lifetime, making her the actress with the longest gap between a first nomination and a first win in Academy history. The previous record had been held by Geraldine Page, who waited 32 years between her first nod and her victory for The Trip to Bountiful at the 1986 Oscars. Madigan's acceptance speech drew a standing ovation, as she thanked co-star Ed Harris and, charmingly, "all the dogs."
KPop Demon Hunters' "Golden" Moment
Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters capped off a successful awards season by winning both Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song. Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans took the stage for the animated feature win, with Kang accepting in tears. "For those of you who look like me, I'm so sorry that it took us so long to see us in a movie like this," she told the audience. "This is for Korea and for Koreans everywhere."
The film's breakout hit "Golden" claimed the song prize, with EJAE — who voices the character Rumi and co-wrote the track — delivering an emotional speech about resilience over ridicule. "Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop," she said, "but now everyone is singing our song, and all the Korean lyrics." The moment was somewhat marred when the broadcast cut off additional producers from speaking, drawing audible boos from inside the theater.
Earlier in the evening, Miles Caton and the Sinners family performed "I Lied to You" in a sweeping, genre-spanning production that mirrored the film's blend of musical eras and cultures. The performance featured an extraordinary lineup of collaborators, including Shaboozey, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Buddy Guy, Brittany Howard, and retired ballet dancer Misty Copeland.
A Moving Tribute to Rob Reiner
One of the ceremony's most poignant stretches was a tribute to the late actor-director Rob Reiner, who died tragically on December 14, 2025, along with his wife Michele Singer Reiner, in what became one of Hollywood's most devastating off-screen stories. Their middle child, Nick Reiner, has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and has pleaded not guilty.
Billy Crystal, Reiner's longtime friend and collaborator, led the tribute with a heartfelt speech that traversed the filmmaker's remarkable career from This Is Spinal Tap and Stand by Me to The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally. "My friends, Rob's movies will last for lifetimes," Crystal said, "because they were about what makes us laugh and cry, and what we aspire to be."
He also honored Michele Reiner's legacy as a photographer, producer, and tireless advocate for marriage equality. As Crystal concluded his remarks — closing with the line, "Buddy, what fun we had storming the castle" — the stage filled with actors from Reiner's films: Meg Ryan, Demi Moore, John Cusack, Jerry O'Connell, Wil Wheaton, Kathy Bates, Annette Bening, Cary Elwes, Carol Kane, Kiefer Sutherland, and more, standing together in silent tribute.
Barbra Streisand Honors Robert Redford
Another emotional highlight came when Barbra Streisand, 83, took the Dolby Theatre stage for a rare live performance of "The Way We Were" in honor of Robert Redford, who died on September 16, 2025, at age 89. It marked Streisand's first performance of the song at the Oscars in over a decade — she last sang it at the 85th Academy Awards in 2013, as a tribute to composer Marvin Hamlisch. The moment landed with enormous weight, as audiences watched one Hollywood legend honor another through the song that defined their most iconic collaboration.
Conan's Closing Words for Martin Short
Host Conan O'Brien closed out the telecast on a note that cut through the usual showbiz fanfare. As the ceremony wound down, O'Brien looked into the camera and shouted, "We love you, Martin Short!" — a public show of solidarity for his friend and fellow comedian, whose daughter Katherine Short died last month at age 42. Short and Steve Martin postponed their joint comedy tour following the tragedy. It was a small gesture, but in the context of a night already full of grief and gratitude, it felt entirely right.
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