Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle After Another' Sweeps 98th Academy Awards

Paul Thomas Anderson won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 98th Academy Awards for "One Battle After Another," marking his first Oscar victories, as the ceremony took place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Conan O'Brien hosted the event for the second consecutive year, broadcasting live on ABC and Hulu. The sweep by "One Battle After Another" made Anderson the evening's dominant figure, collecting three of the night's most prestigious awards in a single ceremony. Other first-time Oscar winners included Michael B. Jordan, Ryan Coogler, and Amy Madigan, according to the verified findings from the ceremony. O'Brien opened the show by entering all the top ten nominated films, setting a comedic tone that carried through the evening.

O'Brien and Kimmel trade Trump barbs from the stage Political commentary ran through the ceremony, with O'Brien warning audiences at the outset that "things could get political." O'Brien directed jokes at Donald Trump during his opening monologue, according to reporting by Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. Jimmy Kimmel also appeared and targeted CBS for what he described as not supporting free speech, while joking that Trump was "going to be mad" that "Melania" was not nominated, according to web search results. O'Brien had signaled the political tone early, and the jokes drew attention in coverage published hours after the broadcast. The ceremony reflected broader unease hanging over Hollywood, which Reuters had noted ahead of the show in a pre-ceremony report. 31 (countries) — nations represented by films at the 2026 Oscars O'Brien paid tribute to global cinema during the broadcast, noting that films from 31 different countries were represented at the ceremony, according to ANSA.

A tie in short films "ruined 22 million prediction pools" The evening produced an unexpected controversy in the Short Film category, where a tie was declared between "The Singers" and "Two People Exchanging Saliva," according to reporting by 20 Minutos. The outcome reportedly disrupted an estimated 22 million prediction pools, with the publication describing it as the scandal of the 2026 Oscars. Ties at the Academy Awards are rare and occur when two nominees receive an identical number of votes from Academy members. The unexpected result in what is typically a lower-profile category generated significant online reaction. The incident underscored how even minor categories can produce major disruptions to the broader awards-season ecosystem of fan predictions and betting pools.

Bridesmaids reunion and Baby Yoda share the spotlight The ceremony also featured several crowd-pleasing moments beyond the competitive awards, including a reunion of the cast of "Bridesmaids" and an appearance by Grogu, the character widely known as Baby Yoda, according to Sky News. O'Brien closed the show with a tribute to Martin Short, following the death of Short's daughter, in a moment that shifted the tone of the evening's finale. The Academy Awards have been held annually since 1929 and are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The 98th edition continued a tradition of the ceremony serving as both a celebration of cinema and a platform for political and social commentary, a dynamic that has intensified in recent years. The Dolby Theatre has hosted the ceremony since 2002. Conan O'Brien, a television host and comedian best known for his late-night work beginning in 1993, hosted the 2026 ceremony for the second year running. The Sky News report highlighted the ballet-themed segment and the Bridesmaids reunion as among the moments viewers may have missed amid the major awards coverage. The tribute to Short provided an emotional conclusion to a ceremony that had otherwise leaned heavily on humor and political commentary throughout the broadcast. The 98th Oscars drew coverage from outlets across multiple continents, reflecting the ceremony's continued global reach, with AMPAS recognizing films from 31 nations on the night.