Oscars 2026: One Battle After Another, KPop Demon Hunters, Sinners take home top prizes

The 98th Academy Awards on Monday (Mar 16), Singapore time, saw One Battle After Another win big with six awards, including best picture, director, supporting actor and casting.

Sinners followed with four awards, including best actor for leading man Michael B Jordan.

Comedian Conan O’Brien returned for a second year to host the ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Best original song winners had many more thanks to give backstage

Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters won best animated feature film. In her acceptance speech, director Maggie Kang apologised to “those of you who look like [her]” that it took so long for them to be represented on the screen.

“This is for Korea and Koreans everywhere,” she said.

Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, the vocalists behind the movie's hit track Golden, later performed it live for the Oscars audience.

Golden ended up winning best original song.

As the group of winners accepted the award, the music started up. Singer-songwriter Ejae, who spoke first, put her hand up and said, “Please stop.” The music kept going as her fellow winners tried to speak and then the lights dimmed as they cut to commercial.

They later thanked additional colleagues and family members backstage, with Ejae saying that she wanted to shout out Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna.

The cast also delivered thanks to their fans watching in Korea.

“I was very nervous but it was such an honour to be performing, it’s such an incredible stage,” Ejae said. “It was not on my bucket list because I did not think it was possible.”

She added it was an “incredible experience” to honour their ancestors by beginning their performance with Korean traditional music.

One Battle After Another wins best picture

The film was the big winner at this year’s Oscars, leading the way with six wins: Best picture, best directing, best actor in a supporting role, best writing (adapted screenplay), best casting and best film editing.

It becomes the 42nd film in Oscars history with at least six statuettes.

Sean Penn, who won best supporting actor, had skipped the ceremony.

“Sean Penn couldn’t be here this evening,” presenter Kieran Culkin said. “Or didn’t want to, so I’ll be accepting the award on his behalf.”

Penn did little campaigning this awards season and also stayed away from the Actor Awards and BAFTA Awards, where he won trophies.

It’s not the first time Penn has no-showed at the Oscars.

The 65-year-old actor has never appeared too attached to Hollywood hardware, whether he wins or loses. He previously gave one of his Oscars to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Sinners won four this year and Frankenstein won three.

Michael B Jordan wins best actor

The loudest and rowdiest applause of the evening likely came from inside the press room when Michael B Jordan was announced as the winner of the best actor prize. Reporters in the room burst into raucous cheers before presenter Adrien Brody could even finish reading out the Sinners star’s name.

Michael B Jordan’s father stood up and pumped his fist toward the stage. The actor said his father flew in from Ghana for the Oscars.

He was one of the many, many people who gave the Sinners star a rousing, standing ovation for his first Oscar win.

“I stand here because of the people that came before me,” he said, adding thanks for the support he’s received throughout his life.

“I feel it, I know you guys want to me to do well, and I want to do that because you guys bet on me.”

Reiner’s actors join Billy Crystal onstage in tribute

Billy Crystal opened the in memoriam segment honouring his best friend, Rob Reiner.

He ticked off a list of Reiner’s films, including When Harry Met Sally, starring Crystal and Meg Ryan, Stand By Me, Say Anything and This Is Spinal Tap, among many others.

A photo of Reiner and his wife, Michelle Singer Reiner, appeared behind Crystal.

The Reiners were found dead in their Los Angeles home in December. Their son, Nick Reiner, has been charged with the deaths of his parents and has pleaded not guilty.

Having a slew of actors with longstanding ties to Reiner – Meg Ryan, Kiefer Sutherland, Fred Savage, Demi Moore, John Cusack, Ione Skye and many others – come on stage for the tribute was reminiscent of how the Academy did the same for director John Hughes at the Oscars 16 years ago.

‘An intellectual cowboy who blazed his own trail’

Barbra Streisand’s tribute to Robert Redford highlighted the late actor-director’s history of defending press freedoms, protecting the environment and encouraging new voices in film.

“Bob had real backbone on and off the screen,” she said.

Babs, as Redford used to call her, sang The Way We Were at the end of her tribute.

“I miss him now more than ever, even though he loved teasing me,” she said, explaining how she got the nickname.

Rachel McAdams paid tribute to women – and Diane Keaton, in particular

“Believe me when I say there is no actress of my generation who was not inspired by and enthralled with her absolute singularity,” she said.

McAdams told the audience a Girl Scout song Keaton used to sing on film sets:

"Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, the other is gold. A circle is round, it has no end. That’s how long, I will be your friend."

Winners of the 98th Academy Awards

Best Picture

One Battle After Another

Best Actor

Michael B Jordan, Sinners

Best Actress

Jessie Buckley, Hamnet

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Madigan, Weapons

Best Supporting Actor

Sean Penn, One Battle After Another

Best Director

Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Best Original Song

Golden from KPop Demon Hunters, Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu-kwak, Yu Han-lee, Hee Dong-nam, Jeong Hoon-seon and Teddy Park

Best Original Score

Sinners, Ludwig Goransson

Best Animated Film

KPop Demon Hunters

Best International Film

Sentimental Value, Norway

Best Documentary Feature

Mr Nobody Against Putin

Best Casting

Cassandra Kulukundis, One Battle After Another

Best Sound

Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo and Juan Peralta, F1

Best Cinematography

Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners

Best Original Screenplay

Sinners, Ryan Coogler

Best Adapted Screenplay

One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson

Best Live Action Short Film

The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva (Tie)

Best Animated Short Film

The Girl Who Cried Pearls

Best Documentary Short Film

All The Empty Rooms

Best Visual Effects

Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett, Avatar: Fire And Ash

Best Production Design

Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau, Frankenstein

Best Film Editing

Andy Jurgensen, One Battle After Another

Best Makeup And Hairstyling

Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey, Frankenstein

Best Costume Design

Kate Hawley, Frankenstein