One Battle After Another Dominates 98th Academy Awards with Six Wins

"One Battle After Another" dominated the 98th Academy Awards, held on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, winning six Oscars including Best Picture. Horror film "Sinners" followed closely with four wins, including Best Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler and Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan. Comedian and television host Conan O'Brien returned to host the ceremony for the second consecutive year. The night also produced a historic milestone when Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography for her work on "Sinners." The Academy Awards have been presented annually since 1929, making the 98th edition part of one of the longest-running awards traditions in entertainment. The Best Cinematography category had never been won by a woman in the nearly century-long history of the ceremony prior to this year's edition. Horror as a genre has historically been underrepresented at the Oscars, making the 2026 ceremony notable for its recognition of multiple genre films.

History made in cinematography, acting, and casting Autumn Durald Arkapaw's win for Best Cinematography for "Sinners" marked a landmark moment in Oscar history, according to reporting by ANSA. The Best Cinematography category had never previously been won by a woman in the history of the awards. Michael B. Jordan claimed Best Actor for his performance in "Sinners," while Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Weapons." According to The Hollywood Reporter, Madigan set a new Oscars record with her win, becoming the actress with the longest gap between nominations and a win. The 98th ceremony also introduced a new category: Best Casting, which was won by "One Battle After Another," making it the first film ever to receive that award. "Frankenstein" added to horror's strong showing by collecting three Oscars on the night. Romanian filmmaker Natalie Musteață also won an Oscar at the ceremony. „Mulțumesc Academiei pentru că a susținut un film ciudat” (I thank the Academy for supporting a strange film) — Natalie Musteață via Stirile ProTV

Horror genre celebrates one of its most awarded nights ever The 2026 Oscars proved a landmark evening for horror cinema, with "Sinners," "Weapons," and "Frankenstein" all winning multiple awards, according to Variety. "Sinners" led the genre's charge with four wins from a record 16 nominations, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Ryan Coogler's Best Original Screenplay win for "Sinners" added a writing honor to the film's acting and cinematography awards. Amy Madigan's win for "Weapons" further cemented the genre's strong night, with the film contributing to what Variety described as one of horror's most awarded evenings at the Oscars. "Frankenstein" rounded out the genre's haul with three wins of its own.

Prediction markets proved roughly 80 percent accurate Prediction markets Polymarket and Kalshi correctly forecast approximately 80 percent of Oscar outcomes, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The figure reflects a growing role for such platforms in tracking awards season sentiment and aggregating public expectations ahead of major ceremonies. The ceremony itself was produced under the oversight of Rob Mills, who discussed the event in a postmortem interview with Deadline. Conan O'Brien's return as host marked his second consecutive year leading the broadcast, continuing a run that began at the previous year's ceremony. The 98th edition was presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences across 24 categories.