The Academy Awards occur annually in Los Angeles and grant prestigious awards for cinematic achievements. This year’s Academy Awards took place at Dolby Theatre on March 15. This ceremony marked the 98th Academy Awards with over 17.9 million viewers on multiple streaming services. Conan O’Brian hosted the 2026 Oscars for the second consecutive year, adding his own touch to the ceremony.
There were many strong nominees for the Actors in a Leading Role category. Nominees included Michael B. Jordan in “Sinners”, Timothée Chalamet for his role in “Marty Supreme,” Leonardo DiCaprio in “One Battle After Another,” Ethan Hawke in “Blue Moon” and Wagner Moura in “The Secret Agent.” Michael B. Jordan won this award, marking his first ever Academy Award. He is the sixth ever Black person to win the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar, adding him to a prestigious list of incredible actors.
There was a lot of controversy surrounding the Actor in a Leading Role award after Timothée Chalamet shared his belief that opera and ballet are dying art forms. Many think this claim dissuaded judges from granting this award to Chalamet. Often in the Academy Awards, individual opinions influence who gets the Oscar. For example, successful actor Tom Cruise has never won an Oscar even though many believe he was the obvious choice. Margot Robbie also lost an Oscar that many believed she deserved for best Leading Actress in “Barbie” from judges’ preference for other actresses and genres.
In this case, Timothée Chalamet played a complex role in “Marty Supreme,” going beyond his usual character to play an obsessed, fame-seeking ping-pong player. Many believe the Actors in a Leading Role title was going to him until he made a controversial statement about ballet and opera. On the other hand, “Sinners” was a far more successful movie, and Michael B. Jordan received a lot more attention than Timothée Chalamet did for “Marty Supreme.” This award easily could have gone any way as Michael B. Jordan, Timothée Chalamet and all other nominees are excellent actors.
The Actress in a Leading Role award also had many strong nominees, but Jessie Buckley won the Oscar for her excellent performance in “Hamnet.” The nominees for this Oscar were Rose Byrne in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Kate Hudson in “Song Sung Blue,” Renate Reinsve in “Sentimental Value” and Emma Stone in “Bugonia.” Jessie Buckley played a very emotional part, and she did it well. Not only was this Jessie Buckley’s first Oscar, but it was also the first time an Irish woman won the Leading Actress award.
“One Battle After Another” by producers Adam Somner, Sara Murphy and Thomas Anderson won the Oscar for Best Picture. However, there were eight other successful movies nominated for this Oscar: “Bugonia,” “F1,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme” and “Sinners.” “One Battle After Another” won this award for how dominant the movie was this year, grossing in over $210M.
There were many other notable Oscars given out this year. While supporting actors are often overlooked in film, they still hold importance and add to the overall quality. Amy Madigan won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in “Weapons” and Sean Penn won Best Actor in a Supporting Role for “One Battle After Another.” Paul Thomas Anderson won an Oscar for “One Battle After Another” as well. Another big win was “K-Pop Demon Hunters’” Animated Feature Film Award. This movie was extremely successful globally, with famous songs like Golden reaching the Billboard 100 and winning the Original Song Oscar.
The Best Original Score Oscar went to Ludwig Goransson for the emotional soundtrack in “Sinners.” Kate Hawley received the Oscar for Costume Design and Mike Hill, Jordan Samual and Cliona Furey received the Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar. Both awards were for the detailed and complicated wardrobe and appearances in “Frankenstein.” “F1” the movie was awarded for their sound effects during the dramatic racing scenes. All the tiny details acknowledged in the Oscars really elevate the quality of these movies.
Overall, the 98th Academy Awards did not disappoint this year, from the elaborate outfits to Conan O’Brian’s added commentary. Surprise guest Misty Copeland, an extremely successful ballerina, performed for the film “Sinners” only weeks after having her hip replaced. Other highlights were Anna Wintour joining Anne Hathaway for a skit on costume design and adorable Star Wars character Grogu interacting with audience members Sigourney Weaver and Pedro Pascal. The 2026 Academy Awards were definitely worth watching.
