The 98th Academy Awards concluded with a definitive victory for Paul Thomas Anderson, as his tenth feature film, One Battle After Another, secured six Oscars, including the prestigious Best Picture and Best Director trophies. The evening marked a significant milestone for Anderson, who, despite a career spanning three decades and numerous previous nominations, had not previously won an Academy Award. In addition to the top two honors, the film was recognized for Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Casting. Anderson accepted the Best Picture statuette alongside producer Sara Murphy, delivering a speech that contextualized his win within the broader history of American cinema.
In a poignant moment of reflection, Anderson invoked the cinematic landscape of 1975, citing the five Best Picture nominees from 50 years prior: Barry Lyndon, Dog Day Afternoon, Jaws, Nashville, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Anderson remarked that there is "no best among them," suggesting that the winner is often determined by the "mood" of the voting body on a specific day. Critics noted that remnants of those mid-70s classics—characterized by gritty realism and bold auteurism—were visible across the ten films competing for the top prize this year.
Distribution of Honors and the Performance of Sinners
While One Battle After Another emerged as the night’s big winner in terms of prestige categories, the Ryan Coogler-directed Sinners entered the ceremony as the heavy favorite with a record-breaking 16 nominations. The film ultimately secured four awards, primarily in the technical and musical categories. Ludwig Göransson earned his third Academy Award for Best Original Score, while Coogler took home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
A historic moment occurred in the Best Cinematography category, where Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win the award for her work on Sinners. Her victory was hailed as a long-overdue milestone for the Academy, which has historically seen very few female nominees in the cinematography branch. Despite losing the top prizes to Anderson’s film, the success of Sinners in the craft categories solidified its status as a technical achievement of the highest order.
The acting categories provided some of the evening’s most discussed moments. Michael B. Jordan, a first-time nominee, won Best Actor for his leading role in Sinners. Jordan’s victory followed a successful run at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, providing him with the necessary momentum to edge out a highly competitive field that included Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Wagner Moura. At 39 years old, Jordan was celebrated as a veteran of the industry, having begun his career as a child actor in television. The standing ovation he received upon taking the stage reflected significant industry goodwill for his transition from blockbuster star to Academy-recognized dramatic lead.
Acting Triumphs and Unexpected Speeches
The Best Actress category followed the season’s established trajectory, with Jessie Buckley winning for her performance in Hamnet. The Irish actress had been the frontrunner throughout the awards circuit, collecting numerous regional and international trophies leading up to the Oscars. While Hamnet did not win in any other category, Buckley’s victory marked another success for director Chloé Zhao. With this win, Zhao has now directed two different women to Best Actress Oscars, following Frances McDormand’s win for Nomadland, further cementing Zhao’s reputation as a premier director of performances.
The first major award of the broadcast was presented to Amy Madigan for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the horror film Weapons. Madigan, an industry legend whose career spans over four decades, was recognized for a performance that many compared to Ruth Gordon’s Oscar-winning turn in Rosemary’s Baby. Madigan’s acceptance speech was noted for its humor and lack of pretension. She recounted her nerves the night before the ceremony, stating she was trying to prepare a speech while shaving her legs in the shower before realizing that, since she planned to wear pants, the preparation was unnecessary. The speech was credited with lightening the atmosphere of an otherwise formal evening.
The Best Supporting Actor trophy was awarded to Sean Penn for his role in One Battle After Another. This marked Penn’s third Oscar, following his Best Actor wins for Mystic River and Milk. Notably, Penn was absent from the ceremony. His absence was interpreted by some industry analysts as a lack of interest in the modern awards campaigning process. Penn had famously gifted his Mystic River Oscar to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a gesture of solidarity during the ongoing conflict in the region. His victory, achieved with minimal public campaigning, suggested a potential shift in how veteran actors may approach the awards season in the future.
Studio Performance and the Streaming Landscape
The 98th Academy Awards also served as a battleground for major studios and streaming platforms. Warner Bros. emerged as the dominant force of the night, securing a total of 11 Oscars across its slate of three main contenders. This performance reinforced the studio’s traditional theatrical-first strategy.
However, Netflix maintained a strong presence, particularly in the craft and animation categories. The streamer’s production of Frankenstein swept the aesthetic categories, winning for Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Production Design. Additionally, Netflix secured two wins for KPop Demon Hunters, which took home Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for the track "Golden."
The short film categories also saw Netflix dominance. The Live Action Short category resulted in a rare tie between The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva, a result that disrupted many Oscar pools and highlighted the increasing quality of short-form content on streaming platforms. Netflix also secured the Oscar for Best Documentary Short.
Political Undertones and Documentary Upsets
One of the night’s most significant upsets occurred in the Best Documentary Feature category. While many analysts expected The Perfect Neighbor to win, the Oscar was awarded to Mr. Nobody Against Putin. The victory was attributed by some voters to the film’s timely political relevance. During the ceremony, it was noted that anti-Russian sentiment remains a powerful motivator among the Academy’s expanding European membership.
The documentary win led to one of the most overtly political segments of the night. This was later amplified by presenter Javier Bardem. Before reading the nominees for Best International Feature, Bardem departed from his scripted remarks to state, "No to war, and free Palestine," a comment that was met with cheers from the audience.
In the International Feature category, the Oscar went to Sentimental Value. The race was noted for being exceptionally tight, featuring four films distributed by NEON, all of which had received multiple nominations across various categories.
Technical Execution and Ceremony Production
The telecast itself, hosted by Conan O’Brien, received mixed reviews due to a series of technical issues. O’Brien opened the show with a high-energy filmed segment in which he appeared in "Aunt Gladys" drag, being chased through parodies of the Best Picture nominees. While the opening was well-received, the subsequent monologue and live segments were hampered by what critics described as "messy" production.
Technical mishaps included several instances of winners’ speeches being cut short by the orchestra prematurely and bizarre camera angles that failed to capture key moments in the room. The "In Memoriam" segment, intended to be a centerpiece of the evening, featured Billy Crystal, Rachel McAdams, and Barbra Streisand honoring industry icons such as Rob and Michelle Reiner, Diane Keaton, and Robert Redford. Streisand concluded the segment with a performance of "The Way We Were," but the emotional weight of the tribute was significantly undermined by persistent sound quality issues that plagued the broadcast.
Further criticism was directed at the show’s producers for the handling of the Best Original Song nominees. Only two of the five nominated songs were performed live: "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters and "I Lied to You" from Sinners. For the remaining three songs, the audience was instructed to scan an on-screen QR code to listen to them during commercial breaks. This decision was widely panned by viewers and industry professionals alike, who argued it diminished the prestige of the category.
Conclusion and Industry Implications
The 98th Academy Awards provided a definitive conclusion to a long and competitive season. The sweep by One Battle After Another serves as a late-career coronation for Paul Thomas Anderson, moving him from the ranks of "greatest living directors without an Oscar" to a multiple-category winner.
The night also signaled a continuing evolution in the Academy’s demographics and preferences. The historic win for Autumn Durald Arkapaw and the political resonance of the documentary and international categories suggest a voting body that is increasingly global and conscious of social shifts.
As the industry moves into the post-awards hiatus, the focus shifts to the upcoming festival circuit. While Warner Bros. and Netflix will celebrate their respective hauls, the technical failures of the broadcast itself may prompt the Academy to reconsider its production partnerships for the 99th and 100th ceremonies. For now, the 98th Oscars will be remembered as the night Paul Thomas Anderson finally claimed the industry’s highest honor, ending a decades-long narrative of "near misses" with a comprehensive victory.
