‘One Battle After Another’ Triumphs at the 98th Academy Awards

Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic film, One Battle After Another, dominated the 98th Academy Awards, securing six wins including Best Picture. The ceremony, held on March 15, 2026, also saw Michael B. Jordan and Jessie Buckley recognized for their leading roles in Sinners and Hamnet, respectively.

A Night for ‘One Battle After Another’

One Battle After Another, inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, was a major contender throughout awards season and ultimately took home awards for Best Picture, Director (Paul Thomas Anderson), Supporting Actor (Sean Penn), Adapted Screenplay, Editing, and the newly established Oscar for Casting. This marks Anderson’s first Oscar wins, having previously been nominated for films like Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, and Phantom Thread.

Accepting the award for Best Director, Anderson stated, “I wrote this movie for my kids to say sorry for the housekeeping mess we left in this world we’re handing off to them.” He also expressed hope that a younger generation would help restore “common sense and decency” to society.

Sean Penn, who won Best Supporting Actor, was not in attendance to accept his award. Presenter Kieran Culkin joked about Penn’s absence, stating, “Sean Penn couldn’t be here tonight or didn’t want to.”

Leading Actor and Actress Awards

Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for his performance in Sinners, even as Jessie Buckley secured the Best Actress award for her role in Hamnet. Buckley is the first Irish star to win in the category. Watch Jessie Buckley’s acceptance speech here. Michael B. Jordan’s acceptance speech can be viewed here.

Other Notable Moments

The awards ceremony also included a moment of controversy when the music began to play during the acceptance speech of Yu-han Lee, composer for the Netflix film Kpop Demon Hunters, cutting him off mid-sentence. This sparked criticism online, with some calling the incident “sad and disrespectful.”

The Competition

The 98th Academy Awards saw a close competition between One Battle After Another and Sinners, with the latter receiving a record 16 nominations.