The 98th Academy Awards took place on Sunday, March 15, with Conan O’Brien hosting live from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. Broadcast on ABC and Hulu, the ceremony celebrated cinematic achievements across 24 categories, including a new award for Best Casting.
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners made history with a record-breaking 16 nominations, ultimately taking home four Oscars, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, who played dual roles. The film also won Best Original Screenplay.
Meanwhile, One Battle After Another dominated the night, winning six Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Casting for Cassandra Kulukundis.
Jessie Buckley earned Best Actress for Hamnet, while Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor for One Battle After Another. Amy Madigan was named Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Weapons.
In animation, KPop Demon Hunters claimed Best Animated Feature Film, with the hit song Golden also winning Best Original Song — the first K-pop track to achieve an Oscar. The film’s innovative blend of 2D anime and 3D CGI, combined with a soundtrack landing eight Billboard Hot 100 hits, underscores the global influence of South Korean pop culture.
Other major winners included Sinners for Best Cinematography, with Autumn Durald Arkapaw making history as the first woman to win the award. Frankenstein picked up Best Production Design, Editing, Costume Design, and Makeup & Hairstyling. Avatar: Fire and Ash won Best Visual Effects, while F1 took Best Sound.
The ceremony also featured a tie in the Best Live-Action Short Film category, with The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva sharing the honour.
International films were recognised as well, with Norway’s Sentimental Value winning Best International Feature Film. In the documentary categories, Mr. Nobody Against Putin claimed Best Documentary Feature, while All the Empty Rooms took Best Documentary Short.
This year’s Oscars highlighted both major studio successes and original storytelling, celebrating achievements in directing, acting, and technical craft across global cinema.
