The 98th Academy Awards were held on Sunday night (March 15) at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, honouring the best films of 2025.
The ceremony, hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien, celebrated achievements across 24 categories and was attended by some of the biggest names in global cinema.
The biggest winner of the night was ‘One Battle After Another’, which swept six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson. The film also won Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Casting and Best Film Editing.
In the lead acting categories, Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for his performance in ‘Sinners’, while Jessie Buckley secured the Best Actress award for her role in the historical drama ‘Hamnet’.
Veteran actor Sean Penn’s win for Best Supporting Actor marked the third Oscar of his career, adding to his earlier Academy Awards for ‘Mystic River’ and ‘Milk’.
Meanwhile, Amy Madigan won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in ‘Weapons’, delivering an emotional acceptance speech thanking her husband, actor Ed Harris.
The film ‘Sinners’, which led the nominations this year, also picked up several major awards, including Best Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler, Best Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw and Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson.
In the international category, Norway’s ‘Sentimental Value’, directed by Joachim Trier, won Best International Feature Film, becoming the first Norwegian film to receive the honour.
The animated musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and also took home Best Original Song for the track “Golden”.
Among technical categories, ‘Frankenstein’ won three awards for Best Production Design, Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ won Best Visual Effects, while the racing drama ‘F1’ received the Oscar for Best Sound.
In the documentary category, ‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin’ won Best Documentary Feature. The Best Live Action Short Film category ended in a rare tie, with ‘The Singers’ and ‘Two People Exchanging Saliva’ sharing the award.
The 2026 Oscars highlighted a diverse range of films and filmmakers, with both blockbuster productions and independent films receiving recognition on Hollywood’s biggest stage.
List of winners : https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/mar/15/oscars-2026-academy-awards-winners-full-list-live (VB news/ The Guardian)