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The 2026 Academy Awards: ‘One Battle After Another’ Earns More Than a Few Small Oscars

March 16, 2026/ 88 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins

Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins recap the 98th Academy Awards from the office, bow tie and all, right after the telecast. One Battle After Another wins six, Sinners wins four, and the two films keep swapping the night's biggest awards. Paul Thomas Anderson finally lands the Picture/Director/Screenplay sweep, Michael B. Jordan takes Best Actor, Sean Penn wins a fourth Oscar without showing up, and Autumn Durald Arkapaw becomes the first woman to win Best Cinematography in 98 years. Plus Conan's second year hosting, the Bridesmaids reunion, and a rare Live Action Short tie.

50 films across 2 segments.

AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.

The night, recappedthe contenders and how they fared

One Battle After Another poster

One Battle After Another 2025

Six wins: Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay (both Paul Thomas Anderson), Sean Penn's Supporting Actor, Film Editing, and the first-ever Casting Oscar. Anderson has been Sean's favorite director since he was 15; he takes the Picture/Director/Screenplay sweep on one night, for a film about handing your youth off to the people behind you. He dedicated the screenplay win to his children. The hosts note the casting win came before editing and read as this year's Best Picture tell.

Sinners poster

Sinners 2025

Four Oscars: Michael B. Jordan's Best Actor and Ryan Coogler's Original Screenplay, both their first, plus a surprise Best Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw. Lost Picture and Director to One Battle, which the hosts argue may be better for its legacy. The MBJ win, telegraphed since the SAG Awards, was the room's loudest moment; Coogler ran back up the theater to bring Durald Arkapaw's son down for her win.

Hamnet poster

Hamnet 2025

Jessie Buckley's Best Actress win, understood to be locked for months. Amanda clocks how strange it is to win an award you've known was yours since fall. Bill Simmons' and Van Lathan's movie of the year.

Weapons poster

Weapons 2025

Amy Madigan wins Supporting Actress, her first nomination in 40 years, and gives a daffy, heartfelt speech with Ed Harris in the front row. Conan appeared in Aunt Gladys drag two seconds into the broadcast, which the hosts took as the tell.

Frankenstein poster

Frankenstein 2025

Guillermo del Toro's film takes the below-the-line crafts: Production Design, Costume Design, and Makeup and Hairstyling. Jessie Buckley also stars in it; del Toro was seated up front doing the Spielberg stare all night.

Sentimental Value poster

Sentimental Value 2025

Norway's Best International Feature winner (Joachim Trier). After its BAFTA the race felt settled, though some pundits stuck with The Secret Agent late. Four acting nominations plus screenplay, director, and picture left it few places to win but here.

K-Pop Demon Hunters poster

K-Pop Demon Hunters 2025

Best Animated Feature, early in the night; Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans accepted. A Netflix release out of Sony Pictures Animation. 'Golden' was held until the very end of the show, and EJ hit the note live even with the mix dialed down as insurance.

Marty Supreme poster

Marty Supreme 2025

Winless. Timothee Chalamet's Best Actor bid fell to Michael B. Jordan; the ballet-interview clip went viral only after voting had closed, so it was a reflection of the loss, not its cause. Sean stays team Timmy: 'I love Marty Supreme.'

The Secret Agent poster

The Secret Agent 2025

Winless too, and now, the hosts say, overlooked. It was the nearest thing to a spoiler for Sentimental Value in International, and Wagner Moura was a Best Actor nominee.

Mr. Nobody Against Putin poster

Mr. Nobody Against Putin 2025

Best Documentary Feature, the win Amanda liked least in a doc slate she found weak. She praised the filmmaker's speech tying it to the moment more than the film itself.

Bridesmaids poster

Bridesmaids 2011

The 15th-anniversary cast reunion (Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Ellie Kemper) reading fake audience notes was the funniest bit of the night. Rudolph's husband, PTA, was busy winning.

The winners, category by categoryas they happened at the 98th Academy Awards

Best Picture

Best Director

Best Actor

Best Actress

Best Supporting Actor

Best Supporting Actress

Best Adapted Screenplay

Best Original Screenplay

Best Cinematography

Best Film Editing

Best Casting

Best Production Design

Best Costume Design

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Best Animated Feature

Best International Feature

Best Documentary Feature

Best Documentary Short

Best Live Action Short Film (tie)

Best Animated Short

Also mentioned raised along the way

Oscar history the hosts invoked American BeautySaving Private RyanShakespeare in LovePulp FictionForrest GumpThe MasterOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestBarry LyndonDog Day AfternoonJawsNashvilleMoonlightLa La LandSkyfallZero Dark Thirty

Careers they walked through Apollo 13The Truman ShowPollockThe HoursPhiladelphiaCome and Get ItKentuckyThe WesternerGaslightAnastasiaMurder on the Orient ExpressMorning GloryMankThe Social NetworkThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Promoted or on the way The Devil Wears Prada 2The Mandalorian and GroguThe AvengersF1The Dog StarsDune Part Three

Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads

TV The WireFriday Night LightsSaturday Night Live

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Sports World Baseball Classic