Oscars 2026: ‘One Battle After Another’ Wins Best Picture

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Warner Bros. drama claimed the top prize at the 98th Academy Awards on 15 March 2026, taking six Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Ryan Coogler’s Sinners made history with four wins, including a landmark Best Cinematography victory. Irish actress Jessie Buckley completed her full awards season sweep, winning Best Actress for Hamnet — an adaptation of Coleraine-born author Maggie O’Farrell’s novel — becoming the first Irishwoman ever to claim that prize.

Here is everything that happened at the 98th Academy Awards, with full UK streaming details and context for British audiences.

‘One Battle After Another’ Dominates the Night

Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another won Best Picture, with Anderson also claiming Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay — his first career Oscar wins after three decades as one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed filmmakers. One Battle After Another scored a leading six wins on the night, with Warner Bros. stablemate Sinners next on four, ending a marathon awards season in which the two studio films competed fiercely for months.

Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor for the film, and Amy Madigan secured Best Supporting Actress for her role in Weapons. The ceremony also marked the first time the Academy awarded Best Casting — the first new Oscar category since Best Animated Feature in 2001 — with One Battle After Another‘s Cassandra Kulukundis becoming its inaugural winner.

One Battle After Another looked unstoppable heading into Sunday night, and Anderson’s haul suggests the Academy is finally ready to reward his ambition at full scale.

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‘Sinners’ Makes Oscar History

Sinners received 16 nominations — the most in Oscar history, surpassing the previous record of 14 shared by All About Eve (1950), Titanic (1997), and La La Land (2016). It also broke the record for most Black individuals nominated for a single film, at ten.

Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Cinematography for Sinners. Ryan Coogler won his first Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and Michael B. Jordan won his first, for Best Actor, playing twin brothers Smoke and Stack in the vampire film. Ludwig Göransson won his third career Oscar for Best Original Score, paying tribute to his father during his acceptance speech.

UK viewers can catch Sinners on Sky Cinema and Now. The BBFC rated it 15, citing strong bloody violence, gore, horror, language, sex, sex references, and racism consistent with its 1930s setting. With four wins and a record nominations haul, Coogler’s film has cemented its place in cinema history regardless of missing the top prize.

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Jessie Buckley Makes History for Ireland and the UK

Jessie Buckley’s Best Actress win for Hamnet surprised no one — she swept through awards season with her portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare, becoming the first Irishwoman to win the prize. This was Buckley’s second Oscar nomination; she was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress for The Lost Daughter.

Irish President Catherine Connolly called the win “an historic moment,” saying it was “a thoroughly deserved testament not only to Jessie’s outstanding performance in Hamnet, but to her performances both in film and on stage across her career to date.” Buckley beat Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Renate Reinsve, and Emma Stone for the penultimate prize of the evening. She closed her speech with the Gaelic phrase “Go raibh maith agaibh, slán” — thank you and goodbye.

Hamnet is adapted from the novel by Maggie O’Farrell, who was born in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, and it was co-written for the screen by O’Farrell herself alongside director Chloé Zhao. Released in UK cinemas on 9 January 2026, distributed by Universal Pictures, it is currently available to rent or purchase via Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Play Movies. For Buckley, a woman beloved by British audiences since her early BBC work in War & Peace and Taboo, this win feels long overdue.

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Other Highlights from the 98th Academy Awards

Frankenstein took three wins for craft awards — Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Production Design. KPop Demon Hunters won Best Animated Feature, and its song “Golden” became the first K-pop song to win Best Original Song.

F1 claimed Best Sound, while Norway’s Sentimental Value won Best International Feature. A rare tie occurred in the Live Action Short category — only the seventh tie in Oscars history — with The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva sharing the award.

Conan O’Brien returned as host for the second consecutive year, with the ceremony broadcast live on ABC and streamed on Hulu in the United States. With Warner Bros. dominating proceedings amid its reported $110 billion acquisition by Paramount Skydance, this ceremony may well be remembered as the night an era in Hollywood began to shift.

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FAQ

Q: What film won Best Picture at the 98th Academy Awards?

A: One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, won Best Picture at the 98th Academy Awards on 15 March 2026. It led all films with six wins on the night. This was Anderson’s first Oscar win despite decades of critically acclaimed work. The ceremony took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Q: Was Jessie Buckley the first Irishwoman to win Best Actress at the Oscars?

A: Yes, Jessie Buckley became the first Irishwoman in Academy Awards history to win Best Actress. She won for her role as Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet at the 98th ceremony in 2026. This was her second Oscar nomination overall. Her first came for Best Supporting Actress for The Lost Daughter.

Q: How many Oscar nominations did Sinners receive?

A: Sinners received 16 nominations, the most ever for a single film in Oscar history. It surpassed the previous record of 14, shared by All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land. It won four awards on the night. Despite missing Best Picture, its nominations record stands regardless of future ceremonies.

Q: Is Hamnet based on a real book?

A: Yes, Hamnet is adapted from the 2020 novel of the same name by Maggie O’Farrell, who was born in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. The novel fictionalises the life of Agnes Shakespeare, wife of William Shakespeare, around the death of their son. O’Farrell co-wrote the screenplay alongside director Chloé Zhao.

Q: Who does BriefLedger cover the Oscars for?

A: BriefLedger covers the Oscars for a British entertainment audience, with a focus on UK-relevant angles — including British and Irish talent, UK release dates, and domestic streaming availability. Coverage on BriefLedger is written in British English and prioritises factual reporting over opinion. It does not publish fabricated quotes or unverified statistics.

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References

1. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — Official 98th Academy Awards ceremony page https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2026
2. Wikipedia — 98th Academy Awards full winners and nominees https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/98th_Academy_Awards
3. ABC News — Oscars 2026: Full winners list from the 98th Academy Awards https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/oscars-2026-full-winners-list/story?id=130769299
4. BBFC — Sinners official classification record (rated 15) https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/sinners-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdi0mdu0
5. Sky — Sinners on Sky Cinema and Now (UK streaming) https://www.sky.com/watch/sinners
6. JustWatch UK — Sinners streaming and rental options in the UK https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/sinners-2025
7. President of Ireland — President Connolly congratulates Jessie Buckley on her Oscar win https://president.ie/en/media-library/news-releases/president-connolly-congratulates-jessie-buckley-and-richard-baneham-on-oscar-wins
8. Wikipedia — Hamnet (novel) by Maggie O’Farrell — publication and background https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamnet_(novel)
9. Wikipedia — Sinners (2025 film) — production, release, and box office detail https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinners_(2025_film)