‘One Battle After Another’ Dominates 2026 Oscars With 6 Wins
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Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson and producer Sara Murphy accept the award for Best Picture for "One Battle After Another" alongside cast and crew onstage during the 98th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles on March 15, 2026. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
By Haika Mrema
3/16/2026Updated: 3/16/2026

Hollywood’s biggest night concluded Sunday with director Paul Thomas Anderson’s sweeping drama “One Battle After Another” emerging as the dominant film of the 98th Academy Awards, collecting six Oscars, including best picture and best director.

The ceremony, held Sunday at the Dolby Theatre and hosted for the second consecutive year by comedian Conan O’Brien, capped a competitive awards season with a slate of wins spread across major categories. But the evening ultimately belonged to Anderson’s film, which added trophies for supporting actor, adapted screenplay, film editing, and the newly introduced casting category.

“I’m here because of people’s faith in me,” Anderson said during his acceptance speech for best director. The filmmaker also dedicated one of the film’s honors to his late collaborator Adam Somner.

The film’s acting win went to Sean Penn, who earned the supporting actor award for his role in the ensemble drama.

While Anderson’s film led the pack, the horror film “Sinners” also had a strong showing, finishing the night with four awards. Among them was best actor for Michael B. Jordan, who portrayed twin brothers in the film.

“I stand here because of the people that came before me,” Jordan said during his acceptance speech, paying tribute to past Oscar winners including Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, and Jamie Foxx.

The best actress award went to Irish performer Jessie Buckley for her role in the historical drama “Hamnet.”

“I would like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart,” she said while honoring Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom.

Other acting honors included Amy Madigan, who won best supporting actress for her performance in the horror film “Weapons.”

The evening also highlighted several historic and notable wins across technical categories. Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw won for “Sinners.”

“I don’t get here without you guys,” Arkapaw said after asking women in the audience to stand during her acceptance speech.

International cinema was recognized with Norway’s “Sentimental Value,” directed by Joachim Trier, winning best international feature. The best animated feature award went to “KPop Demon Hunters,” while the documentary “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” captured best documentary feature.

One unusual moment of the evening came when the best live-action short category resulted in a rare tie between “The Singers” and “Two People Exchanging Saliva.” According to the Academy, only a handful of Oscar categories have ended in ties over the awards’ nearly century-long history.

The ceremony ran roughly three hours and 40 minutes and included musical performances, tributes to film legends during the In Memoriam segment, and comedic sketches from O’Brien aimed at both Hollywood veterans and younger audiences.

With its awards, “One Battle After Another” became the 42nd film in Oscar history to win at least six Academy Awards.

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Haika Mrema is a freelance entertainment reporter for The Epoch Times. She is an experienced writer and has covered entertainment and higher-education content for platforms such as Campus Reform and Media Research Center. She holds a B.B.A. from Baylor University where she majored in marketing.