One Battle After Another Dominates 98th Academy Awards with Six Wins
The 98th Academy Awards, held on Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, was a celebration of cinematic excellence, with Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another emerging as the night's big winner. The film, an ironic exploration of nativism and activism, secured six Oscars, including the prestigious Best Picture award, Best Director for Anderson, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Historic Night for Sinners and Michael B. Jordan
Ryan Coogler's Sinners entered the ceremony with a record-breaking 16 nominations, the most in Oscar history, and walked away with four awards. Among these was the highly competitive Best Actor award, which went to Michael B. Jordan. Jordan's victory was a significant upset, as he faced stiff competition from Timothée Chalamet, who had earlier won at the Golden Globes and Critics' Choice Awards. However, Jordan shifted the momentum with a win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, ultimately clinching the Oscar.
A Night of First-Time Oscar Winners
The theme of the 98th Oscars was undeniably one of new triumphs, with seven of the eight major categories awarded to first-time Oscar recipients. Paul Thomas Anderson himself, after a 30-year career without an Academy Award, finally secured his first win. Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for her role in Hamnet, while veteran character actress Amy Madigan took home Best Supporting Actress for Weapons.
The sole exception to this trend was Sean Penn, who won Best Supporting Actor for his performance in One Battle After Another. This victory made Penn only the fourth male actor in history to win three acting Oscars, joining the ranks of Daniel Day-Lewis, Jack Nicholson, and Walter Brennan. Notably, Penn did not attend the ceremony.
Other Notable Winners and Highlights
Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in the Best Picture winner, left the event empty-handed despite his nomination for Best Actor. In other categories, KPop Demon Hunters won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for Golden, while Frankenstein secured three awards in technical categories. The full list of winners showcases a diverse range of films and talents recognized for their outstanding contributions to the film industry.
Full List of Winners:
- Best Picture: One Battle After Another
- Best Actress: Jessie Buckley - Hamnet
- Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan - Sinners
- Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan - Weapons
- Best Supporting Actor: Sean Penn - One Battle After Another
- Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another
- Best Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters
- Best International Feature: Sentimental Value
- Best Documentary Feature: Mr Nobody Against Putin
- Best Original Screenplay: Sinners - Ryan Coogler
- Best Adapted Screenplay: One Battle After Another - Paul Thomas Anderson
- Best Original Song: Golden - KPop Demon Hunters
- Best Original Score: Sinners - Ludwig Goransson
- Best Cinematography: Sinners - Autumn Durald Arkapaw
- Best Film Editing: One Battle After Another - Andy Jurgensen
- Best Sound: F1
- Best Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash
- Best Production Design: Frankenstein
- Best Casting: One Battle After Another - Cassandra Kulukundis
- Best Make-up and Hairstyling: Frankenstein
- Best Costume Design: Frankenstein
- Best Animated Short: The Girl Who Cried Pearls
- Best Live Action Short: Tied between The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva
- Best Documentary Short: All the Empty Rooms
