Oscars 2026: Major Winners, Surprises & Speeches

Best Picture

The Academy crowned “One Battle After Another,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling political drama inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, as the year’s best film.
The victory capped a huge night for the film, which had already won several awards before the final envelope, giving Anderson his long-awaited Oscar triumph after years of nominations without a win.

On stage, the filmmaker struck a mixture of gratitude and dry humor, thanking collaborators and reflecting on the long road, saying:

“This movie took years of stubborn people refusing to give up… Every person who worked on it believed that stories like this still matter. Movies can still surprise you. They can still challenge you.”

Then, ending off his big speech with “Let’s go get a martini.”

The win was largely expected heading into the ceremony. The film had dominated the late awards season, and industry watchers had it pegged as the frontrunner. But its victory still sparked debate among critics who had predicted “Sinners,” the genre-blending hit with a record 16 nominations, could pull off the upset.

Instead, the Academy ultimately sided with Anderson’s ambitious, politically tinged epic, a choice many critics framed as both recognition of the film itself, but also a long-overdue career honor.

Best Actor

Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for his double performance in “Sinners,” portraying twin brothers Smoke and Stack in the supernatural drama.

The announcement triggered one of the loudest reactions of the night, with much of the crowd rising to its feet in a sustained standing ovation.

Taking the stage, visibly emotional, Jordan thanked those who did the ground work for him to get here:

“I stand here because of the people who came before me,” specifically thanking Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and the late Chadwick Boseman for paving the way for a new generation of actors.

Jordan also praised Coogler, with whom he has collaborated on multiple films.

“Ryan believed in me when I was still figuring it out,” Jordan said. “He trusted me with two characters, two lives, two stories. That kind of trust changes you as an actor.”

Jordan’s win was widely seen as a culmination moment for the actor, who many felt had been overdue for Oscar recognition. Critics often pointed to the technical challenge of his dual performance in Sinners, where he plays twin brothers Smoke and Stack. According to co-star Wunmi Mosaku, Jordan even wore different shoe sizes for each character and introduced subtle physical differences, including giving one twin a dimple while keeping the other without one. 

These kinds of deliberate choices helped create two clearly distinct personalities on screen and showed the level of detail behind the performance, the type of commitment the Academy often responds to.

While some early awards season chatter favored Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, momentum shifted toward Jordan late in the race, making the final result both satisfying and unsurprising for many.

Best Actress

Jessie Buckley claimed Best Actress for her performance in “Hamnet,” becoming the first Irish performer to win the category.

When her name was called, Buckley laughed in disbelief before delivering a heartwarming speech that quickly became one of the ceremony’s most talked-about moments.

“This film is about love and loss, and about the strange, beautiful chaos of family,” Buckley said. “To every parent who has ever carried joy and heartbreak at the same time, this belongs to you.”

Buckley’s win followed a strong awards-season run that included Golden Globe, BAFTA and Critics Choice wins for Best Actress, effectively locking her in as the category frontrunner weeks before the Oscars.

In Hamnet, Buckley carries much of the film through long stretches of silence, particularly in the aftermath of the child’s death, where director Chloé Zhao often keeps the camera fixed on her face rather than cutting away. The performance hinges on restraint rather than dramatic monologues. Buckley lets grief register in small physical shifts: the way Agnes pauses before speaking, the tightening of her posture, or the distant focus in her eyes during domestic scenes. 

That controlled, interior style of acting became one of the most discussed elements of the film during the awards season.

Best Supporting Actor

The supporting actor race ended with a twist: Sean Penn won for “One Battle After Another” but wasn’t there to accept the award.

Penn’s performance as the volatile Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw had gained momentum late in the awards season, particularly after wins at the BAFTAs and the Actor Awards.
Presenter Kieran Culkin acknowledged the absence with a quip that drew laughs from the audience.

“Sean Penn could not be here tonight,” Culkin said, smiling toward the audience. “But knowing Sean, he’s probably somewhere arguing passionately about something important.”

The win was expected by bookmakers but remained contentious among critics, many of whom championed Delroy Lindo’s supporting performance in Sinners.

Still, the Academy clearly embraced Penn’s darkly comedic turn in Anderson’s film, another sign of how strongly One Battle After Another resonated with voters.

Best Supporting Actress

Veteran actress Amy Madigan delivered one of the night’s most emotional moments, winning Best Supporting Actress for the horror film “Weapons.”

Madigan, nominated decades earlier for Twice in a Lifetime, appeared stunned when her name was called.

In her speech, she acknowledged her decades-long career and how that history made the moment feel even more significant.

“I have been doing this a long time,” she said. “Long enough to know that moments like this are rare and unbelievably precious.” 

Madigan also praised the horror genre for giving her the role.

“Sometimes the strangest stories give actors the biggest opportunities,” she said. “This film let me go places I never expected.”

Her win was notable not only for the long gap since her previous nomination but also because horror performances rarely receive Oscar recognition.

While the category had been considered unpredictable heading into the ceremony, Madigan’s late-season surge, including the major precursor win at the Actor Awards, ultimately carried her to victory.

Notable Honors

Beyond the major acting prizes, several other awards garnered strong reactions among cinephiles.

The animated hit “KPop Demon Hunters” won both best animated feature and original song for the track “Golden,” giving the Netflix musical fantasy the title of “Oscar-winning”, which was a big shock to many people who see it as a mainstream sing-along kids' movie.

Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history in cinematography for Sinners, becoming the first woman ever to win the category.
Meanwhile, “Frankenstein” rose up as a quiet technical powerhouse, winning production design, costume design, and hair & makeup — a trio of craft awards that highlighted the film’s elaborate visual world.

In international cinema, Norway’s “Sentimental Value” claimed best international feature, while the political documentary “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” took best documentary feature.
And in one of the evening’s standout moments, the Academy produced a rare tie in the live-action short category — an unusual reminder that even after nearly a century, Oscar night can still deliver surprises. 

For the full list of winners, head over to the official Oscars site. For more articles like this, visit our Lifestyle News Page!