‘One Battle After Another’ Wins Best Picture at the 98th Academy Awards, ‘Sinners’ Scores Substantial

The 98th Academy Awards took place Sunday evening at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another taking home the coveted Best Picture award. However, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners also had a monumental night, securing wins in several key categories and making history in the process.

‘Sinners’ Shines with Historic Wins

Sinners entered the ceremony with a leading 16 nominations and ultimately won four awards. Michael B. Jordan was awarded Best Actor for his performance, and Ryan Coogler took home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history by winning Best Cinematography, becoming the first woman and the first woman of color to receive the award in the category’s history (ABC7 Latest York). Ludwig Göransson also won for Best Original Score.

A Memorable Performance of “I Lied to You”

The ceremony featured a standout performance of “I Lied to You,” the Oscar-nominated song from Sinners, shortly after the opening. Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq performed the song, joined by a diverse ensemble of musicians and dancers including Misty Copeland, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, Brittany Howard, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, Bobby Rush, Shaboozey, and Alice Smith (ABC7 New York). The performance was designed to recreate a pivotal scene from the film, showcasing the roots of Black music in American popular culture.

Key Wins for ‘One Battle After Another’

While Sinners garnered significant attention, One Battle After Another ultimately took home six awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director (CNN). Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor, though he was not in attendance to accept the award.

Other Notable Winners

Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for her role in Hamnet. Other winners included Benicio del Toro for Best Supporting Actor and Amy Madigan for Best Supporting Actress (Page Six). KPop Demon Hunters was awarded Best Animated Feature Film, and Sentimental Value won Best International Feature Film.

Full List of Winners

• Best Picture: One Battle After Another
• Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
• Best Actress: Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
• Best Supporting Actor: Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
• Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan
• Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
• Best Original Screenplay: Sinners
• Best Adapted Screenplay: One Battle After Another
• Best Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners
• Best Original Score: Ludwig Göransson – Sinners
• Best Original Song: “Golden” – KPop Demon Hunters

The 98th Academy Awards celebrated the best in film, with both One Battle After Another and Sinners emerging as major winners. The ceremony, hosted by Conan O’Brien, also included pointed political statements from presenters and a moving In Memoriam segment (CNN).