The 2026 Oscars (98th Academy Awards) were dominated by One Battle After Another by Paul Thomas Anderson, the most awarded film of the night with six statuettes. Overall, I found the results convincing and broadly in line with the awards season. However, there is one decision I strongly disagree with: the Academy’s choice not to award Jafar Panahi in the International Feature category, which instead went to the Norwegian film Sentimental Value.
Below are the main winners of the 2026 Academy Awards.
Major Categories
Best Picture
One Battle After Another
Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson — 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 — Weapons
Best Original Screenplay
Ryan Coogler — Sinners
Best Adapted Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson — One Battle After Another
Best Cinematography
Sinners
Best Film Editing
One Battle After Another
Best Production Design
Frankenstein
Best Costume Design
Frankenstein
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Frankenstein
Best Sound
F1
Best Visual Effects
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Best Original Score
Ludwig Göransson — Sinners
Best Original Song
“Golden” — KPop Demon Hunters
Best Animated Feature
KPop Demon Hunters
Best Documentary Feature
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Best Documentary Short Film
All the Empty Rooms
Best Live Action Short Film
ex aequo: The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva
Best International Feature Film
Sentimental Value (Norway)
And this is where my only real reservation lies. Personally, I would have awarded Jafar Panahi, one of the most significant filmmakers working today—an artist who has consistently turned cinema into both a creative act and a powerful form of cultural resistance.
Aside from that choice, the list of winners makes sense overall. One Battle After Another deservedly dominated the ceremony, Sinners further confirmed the creative partnership between Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan, and several technical categories rewarded films with remarkable craftsmanship.
All things considered, the 2026 Oscars offered a balanced picture of the past year in cinema—albeit with one notable missed opportunity.