Standout Moments from the 2026 Oscars
The 98th Academy Awards were always going to be a battle. “One Battle After Another” versus “Sinners.”
Paul Thomas Anderson versus Ryan Coogler. Hollywood veterans finally getting their due versus fresh faces making history. And for three hours and forty minutes on March 15, the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles held it all together — chaotic, moving, funny, and every bit as unpredictable as the films it honoured.
Here are the moments that made this year’s ceremony one to remember.
Conan O’Brien Nails the Hosting Job
From the very first minute, Conan O’Brien made clear he wasn’t going to play it safe. He opened by dressing up as Aunt Gladys — the bizarre, heavy-makeup character played by Amy Madigan in “Weapons” — a joke that turned out to be perfectly timed, since Madigan won the supporting actress award just minutes later.
O’Brien kept his political commentary measured but meaningful. Rather than leaning hard into partisan digs, he focused his barbs on easier targets.
He took a light shot at Timothée Chalamet’s widely mocked comment that “no one cares” about ballet and opera. He also quipped about the racing film “F1” doing so well that they’re making a sequel called “Caps Lock.”
The audience laughed. He also acknowledged the weight of the moment, telling the crowd that “it’s at moments like these that the Oscars are particularly resonant” — a nod to the turbulent global climate without turning the stage into a soapbox.
It struck the right balance.
“One Battle After Another” Completes Its Sweep
Paul Thomas Anderson’s politically charged action-comedy “One Battle After Another” walked away with the night’s biggest prizes: best picture, best director, and best adapted screenplay. For Anderson, it ended a long, strange drought.
He had been nominated eleven times since the late 1990s — starting with a screenplay nod for “Boogie Nights” — without ever winning. Sunday night, he won three times in one evening.
When he finally took the stage, Anderson wasn’t showy about it. He spoke about the 1975 best picture nominees — “Dog Day Afternoon,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Jaws,” “Nashville,” “Barry Lyndon” — and said there is no “best” among great films, only what you’re in the mood for on a given day.
Then he toasted his team and called for a martini.
Michael B. Jordan Wins Best Actor for “Sinners”
Ryan Coogler’s vampire-horror hybrid “Sinners” may have come up short for best picture, but it had a strong night regardless. Michael B. Jordan took home best actor for his performance in the film — his first Oscar win.
Jordan, who famously brings his mother Donna as his date to award shows, thanked her first. He also spoke at length about parenthood, a theme that ran quietly through several acceptance speeches on the night.
It was one of the warmest moments of the evening, and Jordan carried himself with a quiet confidence that matched the weight of the win.
Jessie Buckley Makes Irish History
The best actress race was the most predictable of the night — and it delivered exactly what everyone expected. Jessie Buckley won for her portrayal of Agnes in “Hamnet,” Shakespeare’s wife, making her the first Irish performer ever to win in the category.
She thanked her baby daughter from the stage, noted that it was Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom, and dedicated the award — for a film about a grieving parent — to “the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.” The room went quiet for a moment after she said it.
Amy Madigan Ends a 40-Year Wait
Amy Madigan won best supporting actress for “Weapons,” where she plays a strange, nearly unrecognisable aunt in a supernatural thriller about missing children. Her character — all smeared makeup, peculiar hair, and thick-framed glasses — became a viral sensation online long before awards season.
What made her win feel especially significant was the timeline. Madigan’s first Oscar nomination came in 1985 for “Twice in a Lifetime,” when she lost to Anjelica Huston.
The gap between that nomination and Sunday’s win — forty years — is now the longest wait in best supporting actress history. She posed for photos afterward with her husband, Ed Harris, and their daughter Lily.
It was the kind of win the room clearly wanted.
Autumn Durald Arkapaw Breaks the Cinematography Ceiling
There was genuine electricity in the Dolby Theatre when Autumn Durald Arkapaw won the Oscar for cinematography for “Sinners.” She became the first woman and first Black person ever to win in that category — two ceilings broken in one night.
Her speech matched the moment. She asked every woman in the theatre to stand up, telling them that wins like this don’t happen without people “standing up for you and advocating for you.”
The theatre responded.
“Golden” Becomes the First K-Pop Song to Win Best Original Song
Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” had a remarkable night. The animated film took home best animated feature film and best original song for its anthem “Golden” — the first K-pop track ever to win in that category.
Six of the song’s credited writers also became the first South Koreans to claim the prize. The performers who voice the film’s lead characters — EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami of HUNTR/X — performed the song live, and the audience responded with standing ovations.
Billowing gold flags, shimmering lights, and genuine joy filled the stage. EJAE’s speech summed it up simply: growing up, people made fun of her for liking K-pop.
Now everyone was singing the Korean lyrics along with her.
The “Sinners” Juke-Joint Performance
The night’s other major musical performance belonged to “Sinners,” and it was something else entirely. Producer Raphael Saadiq introduced it before Miles Caton took the stage and performed “I Lied to You” — the song from the film’s extraordinary juke-joint sequence, the moment in “Sinners” where Black musical history collapses past and present into a single transcendent scene.
Co-stars Jayme Lawson and Li Jun Li appeared alongside the dancers, while the film’s vampire characters — played by Jack O’Connell, Peter Dreimanis, and Lola Kirke — were shown briefly trying to join in, only to be turned away at the door.
It was a smart, joyful recreation of the scene, and it landed beautifully on the Oscars stage.
Anna Wintour Drops Her Sunglasses
Few moments in the night were as unexpected as Anna Wintour walking out to Madonna’s “Vogue” to present the costume design and makeup awards alongside Anne Hathaway. The duo’s appearance was a nod to “The Devil Wears Prada,” the 2006 film where Hathaway played an assistant to a character widely believed to be inspired by Wintour.
A sequel is due in theatres on May 1. Wintour even called Hathaway “Emily” at one point — the name of the character played by Emily Blunt in the original film.
The crowd loved it. Both costume design and makeup went to “Frankenstein.”
But the real award might have gone to whoever booked the duo.
Javier Bardem and the Political Statements
Under bright lights, the Oscars again brushed up against political currents – nothing new there. Up stepped Javier Bardem, voice steady, saying words that cut quick: “No to war and free Palestine.”
Short it was, sharp too, met with some cheers, some silence. Reactions split like light through glass.
That quiet comment by Host O’Brien – pointing out how these are “very chaotic, frightened times” – gave the night a thoughtful edge. The event moved through it smoothly, smoother than most had thought possible.
Billy Crystal and Barbra Streisand Farewell Longtime Companions
Out on stage during the tribute, faces lit under soft lights. A pause, then Billy Crystal began talking – voice steady – recalling Rob Reiner, once side by side with him on “All in the Family,” gone since last winter, just weeks after his wife Michele passed too.
Not a eulogy, but something warmer; stories of a director who chased moments that cracked you up, broke your heart, made you want more from life.
Out of nowhere, Barbra Streisand appeared to pay tribute to Robert Redford. Not one to hold back, she described him as an intellectual cowboy who carved his own path, smiling while mentioning how much he enjoyed needling her.
From there, without warning, she began singing part of “The Way We Were,” a tune absent from these events since 2013. Meanwhile, the moment quietly included recognition for Gene Hackman, Diane Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, Val Kilmer, along with several others gone by mid-2025.
A Documentary Short That Required Quiet
Midway through the evening, a hush fell as creators of All the Empty Rooms stepped forward for best documentary short. Their project shows kids’ rooms after school shootings – still kept exactly as they were.
Parents haven’t changed a thing. Silence held tight while the camera moved from bed to desk to shelf. Each object stayed where it was, frozen in time.
The weight settled slowly, room by room. Gloria Cazares, whose daughter Jackie was killed in the 2022 Uvalde shooting, spoke from the stage.
“My daughter Jackie was 9 years old when she was killed in Uvalde,” she said. “Since that day, her bedroom has been frozen in time. Jackie is more than just a headline. She is a light and our life.”
The Dolby Theatre went completely still.
A Brand New Award Called Best Casting
It happened at last. The Oscars finally gave casting directors a trophy of their own, marking the first fresh competition since animation earned its spot back in 2001.
Not every change takes years – this one arrived quietly but made history anyway. Standing there, holding it tight, was Cassandra Kulukundis, recognized for her work on “One Battle After Another.”
That moment belonged only to her. From the stage, she spoke directly to director Paul Thomas Anderson, telling him, “I have one before you, which is also crazy. So yeah, I hope you get one tonight.”
He got three.
A Night of Firsts
Looking past the flash, the 2026 Oscars revealed something deeper than trophies – a quiet reckoning. Paul Thomas Anderson finally held his award, years after many thought he should have.
Ryan Coogler stood onstage, not as an outsider now, but recognized at last. Michael B. Jordan’s win carried weight, built on roles that demanded attention long before Hollywood gave it.
Amy Madigan reached the mark later than expected, though her skill was never in doubt. Jessie Buckley’s moment arrived through persistence, not luck, shaped by choices off the beaten path.
Autumn Durald Arkapaw saw her vision reflected in gold, after years working beyond the spotlight. Cassandra Kulukundis, too, stepped forward – timing shifted in her favor only recently.
These names once lingered near the edge of recognition; tonight, none could ignore them. First-time winners took seven out of eight top spots. Hard to ignore that pattern.
Points to what felt important tonight – fresh faces, overdue moments, stories long overlooked. Comfort wasn’t on the menu. Familiar names stepped aside.
The strongest nights? Not when predictions come true. When recognition lands where it should’ve sooner.
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