Oscars 2026 Winners: One Battle After Another Leads as Sinners and Frankenstein Also Score Big

Big winners and record‑setters

One Battle After Another emerged as the evening’s top winner with six awards: Best Picture, Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Supporting Actor (Sean Penn), and the inaugural Best Casting award. Sinners, which led with a record 16 nominations, converted four into wins for Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Best Original Screenplay (Ryan Coogler), Best Original Score, and Best Cinematography.

Gothic reimagining Frankenstein dominated the design and makeup fields, sweeping Production Design, Costume Design, and Makeup and Hairstyling. In animation, KPop Demon Hunters claimed both Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Golden,” outpacing franchise sequels like Zootopia 2 and Pixar’s Elio.

Historic firsts

Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography, honored for her work on Sinners. The new Best Casting category debuted with One Battle After Another as its first recipient, formally recognizing the ensemble‑building work that has long shaped awards‑season contenders.

The ceremony also produced a rare tie in the Live Action Short category, with both The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva receiving Oscars. The Girl Who Cried Pearls won Animated Short, while All the Empty Rooms topped Documentary Short, rounding out a strong year for short‑form storytelling.news.

Acting, directing and writing awards

Michael B. Jordan’s Best Actor win for Sinners, in which he plays twin brothers Smoke and Stack—was widely seen as a career‑defining moment, beating out Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke and Wagner Moura. Jessie Buckley secured Best Actress for her performance in literary drama Hamnet, prevailing over Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Renate Reinsve and Emma Stone.

In supporting categories, Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor for One Battle After Another, while Amy Madigan earned Best Supporting Actress for Weapons, adding veteran presence to this year’s winners circle. Paul Thomas Anderson took home Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for One Battle After Another, while Ryan Coogler’s Sinners claimed Best Original Screenplay, underscoring the tight race between the two films throughout awards season.

International, documentary and animation winners

Norwegian drama Sentimental Value triumphed as Best International Feature, edging out nominees including The Secret Agent and The Voice of Hind Rajab. In documentaries, Mr. Nobody Against Putin won Best Documentary Feature, while All the Empty Rooms took Documentary Short in a politically and socially charged slate.

On the animation side, KPop Demon Hunters was named Best Animated Feature over Arco, Elio, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain and Zootopia 2, while The Girl Who Cried Pearls earned the Animated Short Oscar. Director Chris Appelhans used the feature win to urge viewers to “keep telling your story,” in a speech that quickly circulated online.

Craft and technical categories

Ludwig Göransson’s score for Sinners won Best Original Score, adding to his growing awards tally. “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters took Best Original Song, continuing the Academy’s recent embrace of animated musical tracks. Racing drama F1 translated its high‑octane sound design into a Best Sound win, while One Battle After Another earned Best Film Editing for Andy Jurgensen’s propulsive cutting.news.yahoo+3

In visual crafts, Avatar: Fire and Ash extended that franchise’s legacy in Best Visual Effects, honored over F1, Jurassic World Rebirth, The Lost Bus and Sinners. Frankenstein’s triple victory in Production Design, Costumes and Makeup/Hairstyling reflected strong support for its immersive period horror aesthetic.