The Oscars, as it happened
• “One Battle” takes top prize: Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” won best picture at the 98th Academy Awards, capping a ceremony that also saw the film take home best adapted screenplay and best director. See here for the most striking moments from the Oscars red carpet.
• “Sinners” shines: Ryan Coogler’s vampire horror hybrid “Sinners” made history with a win for the film’s cinematographer, best actor honors for Michael B. Jordan, and the best original screenplay prize.
• Standout moments: Host Conan O’Brien, winning documentarians and presenter Javier Bardem were among several people who shared pointed political statements on the Oscars stage. A moving In Memoriam segment paid tribute to Rob Reiner and other stars we lost. Here are the moments we’ll be talking about for the rest of the year.
• More notable wins: Jessie Buckley completed her award season sweep, winning best actress for her role in “Hamnet.” Sean Penn was a no-show for his supporting actor trophy — his third career Oscar.
Our live coverage has wrapped, but the night isn’t over — dive into the full winners list or see all the standout looks in our red carpet gallery.
"One Battle" and "Sinners" shine in an Oscars telecast that didn't shy away from change
It was an Oscar battle between “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners” until the very end, but only one came out on top.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s drama about a washed-up revolutionary battling old foes for the safety of his daughter picked up best picture at the 98th Academy Awards. In all, it earned six awards, including best supporting actor, best adapted screenplay and best director.
But neither film really lost.
Ryan Coogler’s period vampire thriller that celebrated the origins of Blues music and southern Black culture earned four awards, including a history-making win in the best cinematography category and a much-celebrated best actor victory for Michael B. Jordan.
It all came during a ceremony that leaned into culture and politics more than other shows this award season — but managed to do so with a sense of brightness and, sometimes, optimism.
Here are some of the evening’s big themes:
• O’Brien takes change in stride: Host Conan O’Brien faced the shifting Hollywood landscape head-on, riffing from start to end on AI, content creators and other trends upending the old model. It set the tone for a night that seemed to embrace the evolving state of the industry instead of shying away from change — doing so with a knowing smile and celebratory moments for rising young stars. O’Brien oversaw the proceedings in his signature silly style, navigating both pointed political commentary and lighter fare in a way that seemed to land with the audience across the board. In another update to the Oscars telecast, for the first time, a pre-recorded video sketch played immediately after the show wrapped.
• Making a statement: Celebrities used their platforms tonight to address topics including free speech, war and gun laws. Jimmy Kimmel landed digs at CBS and first lady Melania Trump, documentarians brought the mother of a school shooting victim onstage and spoke out against oligarchy, and actor Javier Bardem called for an end to global conflicts and for a “free Palestine.”
• History-making wins: This Academy Awards placed an emphasis on trailblazers, with Autumn Durald Arkapaw becoming the first woman and first woman of color to take home an Oscar for best cinematography for her work on “Sinners.” The hit song from “KPop Demon Hunters,” “Golden,” became the first K-pop tune to win the award for best original song.
• A moving In Memoriam: Billy Crystal paid tribute to Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner in a touching In Memoriam tribute. Rachel McAdams took the stage to pay homage to other acting greats lost this year, including Diane Ladd, her “fellow Canadian” Catherine O’Hara and, of course, her “Family Stone” costar, Hollywood icon Diane Keaton. The legend herself Barbra Streisand also honored her friend and former costar Robert Redford, who died in September.
The best photos from the Oscars
“One Battle After Another” was the big winner at Sunday’s Academy Awards, taking the statuette for best picture and six Oscars overall.
But “Sinners” had a memorable night as well, winning four Oscars — one of which was best actor for Michael B. Jordan.
Check out some of the standout photos we saw from the Dolby Theatre:
Conan O'Brien crowned Oscars "host for life" in sidesplitting "One Battle" spoof
Conan O’Brien has been named Oscars host for life by the Academy… or has he?
In a first for the Oscars telecast, a pre-recorded video sketch played immediately after the show wrapped.
O’Brien was seen being shown his brand new office after being named the eternal Oscars host in the clip that spoofed a pivotal scene at the end of tonight’s best picture winner, “One Battle After Another.”
“All this for me?” an overjoyed O’Brien asked, with the Academy representative pointing to his name on the door in a nod to the film’s closing scene.
As O’Brien kicked his legs up on the desk, he met the same fate as Sean Penn’s Steven J. Lockjaw did, the “One Battle” character for which Penn won his third Oscar earlier in the night.
As O’Brien was being shoved into an incinerator, a new name tag on the door then named YouTube star Mr. Beast as the new Oscars host for life.
"One Battle After Another" wins best picture
“One Battle After Another” has won the top prize at the 98th Academy Awards after a night that saw the Paul Thomas Anderson film trading big wins with “Sinners.”
Producer Sara Murphy thanked everyone involved in the making of the movie.
The win also brought back director Paul Thomas Anderson to the stage, who thanked his cast. He then inserted some Oscars history as a way of acknowledging all the other films that were up for best picture at the ceremony.
He ended on a celebratory note for his team: “What a night, you guys. Let’s have a martini. This is pretty amazing. Cheers. Thank you very much,” he added.
Jessie Buckley completes award season sweep with best actress win
Who else? Jessie Buckley has won the Oscar for best actress in a leading role at the 2026 Oscars for her portrayal of Agnes in “Hamnet,” in the only race that was somewhat easy to predict.
“This is really something,” the Irish actress said while accepting her award, later calling the win “kind of a big deal.”
She thanked the movie’s producers as well as her family.
Buckley’s acting credits include “The Lost Daughter,” a film for which she earned her first Oscar nod in 2022.
She has swept this award season for her work in “Hamnet,” notching wins in the lead actress category at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, Actor Awards and the BAFTAs.
The film — an imagined telling of the Shakespeare family’s personal tragedy — explores themes of grief, motherhood and the redemptive power of storytelling.
What a moment: Michael B. Jordan gets huge ovation for best actor win
Michael B. Jordan has won the Oscar for best actor in a leading role.
The “Sinners” actor got a huge reaction from the stars in the audience when his name was read.
Jordan began his acceptance speech by shouting out his entire family, who were all in the audience tonight.
He went on to thank the film’s director, Ryan Coogler, saying, “I am so honored to call you a collaborator and a friend. You gave me the opportunity and the space to be seen.”
Jordan has starred in every film that Coogler has made.
Jordan continued: “I know you guys want me to do well and I want to do that because you guys bet on me. So, thank you for keeping betting on me. I’m gonna keep stepping up and I’m going to keep being the best version of myself I can be.”
In pictures: Behind the scenes at the Oscars
Photographers are at the Dolby Theatre catching moments that happen before and after the TV cameras are rolling.
Check out some of these backstage and behind-the-scenes photos:
Seriously Oscars, you can't diss KPop like that!
A history-making moment at the Academy Awards was followed by a moment that is sure to have angered K-Pop fans.
After “Golden” made history becoming the first K-Pop tune to win the award for best original song, EJAE – who is one of the singers on the tune – took to the stage with other members of the team behind the song to give an acceptance speech.
She got emotional and turned the mic over to someone else on the team, only to have them be played off.
Expect K-Pop fans to riot on social media because it was a moment, and could have been an even bigger one had they been given more time. For shame.
Paul Thomas Anderson's big night continues with best director honors
Paul Thomas Anderson has won the best director Academy Award for his film “One Battle After Another.”
Anderson, who received a standing ovation from his cast, had already been up on stage, accepting the Oscar for best adapted screenplay, where he talked about making this film for the next generation. In this speech, he struck a more personal tone.
“There will always be some doubt in your heart that you deserve it. But there is, there is no question at the pleasure having it for myself,” he said, prompting laughter in the audience.
Before this year, Anderson had been nominated for 11 Oscars, but had never won. He was won two so far tonight and is up as a coproducer for best picture at the end of the night.
“KPop Demon Hunters” does it again with win for best original song
The ballad “Golden” from Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” has taken home the Oscar for best original song. It’s the first K-pop song to win in this category, according to the Academy.
In a tearful acceptance of the Oscar, singer-songwriter EJAE said the song and award is “not about success, it’s about resilience.”
About the film: “KPop Demon Hunters” is an animated feature released on Netflix last June, with a limited showing in theaters between October and November. The film follows an all-girl K-Pop group who also hunt demons seeking to consume human souls. One of their biggest challenges is a rival boyband who are actually demons in disguise.
The cast includes Arden Cho, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Ahn Hyo-seop, Ken Jeong and Daniel Dae Kim.
CNN’s Lisa Respers France contributed reporting.
"No to war and free Palestine," Javier Bardem says
Presenter Javier Bardem waited for the walk-up music to quiet down, and then said: “No to war, and free Palestine.”
The crowd erupted in applause and cheers in response before the actor, who wore a pin on his lapel with the same message, presented the nominees for best international feature film alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
The "Golden" performance gave an international concert vibe
You would be forgiven if you tuned into the Academy Awards and confused it with the Grammys for a minute.
That’s because EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami performing their hit song “Golden” from their now Oscar-winning film “KPop Demon Hunters” gave us everything we wanted.
Together, the three singers make up HUNTR/X and are the singing voices from the hit Netflix film, which tells the story of a K-pop girl group who double as fierce fighters that vanquish soul-eating demons.
Joined by flag waving dancers on stage, the performance had the Dolby Theater so into it that audience members had balls of lights they waved in time to the tune, which is a total earworm.
The performance was only missing one thing – more time on stage for the three songbirds who remind us why K-Pop is such a worldwide phenomenon.
The movie won for best animated feature earlier in the evening, and will have a sequel soon on the way.
Jimmy Kimmel got political in return to a familiar venue
While announcing the award for best documentary short film tonight, multi-time Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel spoke out about free speech around the world.
Kimmel — whose show was at one point controversially suspended by ABC over the host’s comments on the death of Charlie Kirk — went on to highlight the “international community of filmmakers dedicated to telling the truth, oftentimes at great risk to make films that teach us, that call out injustice, that inspire us to take action.”
He went on to deliver a jab at first lady Melania Trump’s documentary, saying: “There are also documentaries where you walk around the White House trying on shoes.”
"Sentimental Value" wins Oscar for best international feature
Norway’s “Sentimental Value” has won the Academy Award for best international feature film.
The film’s director Joachim Trier thanked the Academy, humbly describing himself as a “film nerd from Norway” during his acceptance speech, going on to say he thinks he makes films that make people feel at home.
“I really felt at home with the crew,” he said, adding that he’s “never been so proud” to work with a cast like the one he directed in “Value,” which featured four Oscar-nominated roles.
Trier described the movie as an “important and beautiful film to reflect our present crisis and our crisis of the past.”
He went on to invoke a sentiment from civil rights activist James Baldwin, who he said “makes us remember that all adults are responsible for all children.”
“Let’s not vote for politicians who don’t take this seriously into account,” he added.
An overdue Oscar first: A woman of color just won the prize for best cinematography
This is feeling kind of like a heavyweight bout. Right after “One Battle After Another” won for best editing, “Sinners” took home another prize, winning honors for cinematography, setting the stage for continued battles between the two frontrunners for best picture.
Autumn Durald Arkapaw is the first woman and first woman of color to take home an Oscar for best cinematography.
While accepting the award, she prompted all of the women in the room to stand up.
“Because I feel like I don’t get here without you guys,” she said to a roar of long applause. “I really really truly mean that.”
She also thanked the film’s director Ryan Coogler, its cast and crew as well as her family.
“Sinners” made history as the first film shot using two different aspect ratios (Ultra Panavision 70 and IMAX, for the film enthusiasts) and the first time a film was released combining both.
CNN’s Alli Rosenbloom contributed to this report.
"One Battle After Another" builds some momentum with win for best editing
“One Battle After Another” is among the favorites in the best picture category, and it just racked up another win at the 98th Academy Awards, taking home the prize for best editing.
During his acceptance speech, Andy Jurgensen shouted out his friends, who he said were watching the ceremony at a bar, and gave them the go-ahead to “order some shots now.”
He also dedicated his Oscar win to his late aunt Barbara Hall, who he said was a film archivist for the Academy for over 25 years.
“She loved her job and she loved showing me old movies and teaching me about film history,” he said. “I miss her every day and I would not be up here if it wasn’t for her.”
"Stop all of these wars now," winner of documentary feature film says
Pavel Talankin stood on the stage tonight and issued a message: “Stop all of these wars now.”
The protagonist of “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” a documentary feature film that won an Oscar tonight, gave a powerful speech in Russian that was translated by another film crew member on stage receiving the award.
Talankin was introduced by filmmaker David Borenstein, who accepted the award for the film with his own strong warning on how a country weakens.
The "Bridesmaids" reunion was a hoot
Rose Byrne got a little help from some old friends on the occasion of her first Oscar nomination.
The Australian actress, who is nominated for her lead role in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” was joined onstage by her “Bridesmaids” costars Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy and Ellie Kemper in honor of the 15th anniversary of their 2011 comedy.
The group was there to introduce the nominees for best score as well as achievement in sound, but also to crack some jokes.
While briefly reminiscing about “Bridesmaids,” Wiig joked that because they were bad at math they were pretty sure that “we shot the movie” in 1883.
After mentioning how they are lacking their sixth bridesmaid Wendi McLendon-Covey (who wasn’t able to make it), the group of actresses launched into a bit that gamely teased various famous audience members, including Stellan Skarsgård.
Byrne also read a note that asked her to stop making eye contact, and said it was from Leonardo DiCaprio.
Because wouldn’t we all be starring at him?
“Bridesmaids” featured Byrne in the frenemy role of Helen, opposite Wiig’s protagonist Annie. The beloved comedy scored two Oscar nominations at the 2012 awards: one for Wiig and co-writer Annie Mumolo for best original screenplay and the other for McCarthy in the best supporting actress race.
"Sinners" takes home another Oscar, this time for best original score
Swedish musician and composer Ludwig Göransson won the Academy Award for best original score, notching another win for Ryan Coogler’s smash hit “Sinners,” in which the magic of music is a central theme.
Göransson thanked “Sinners” director Ryan Coogler, who won his first Oscar earlier tonight, for his vision and for “making a movie that resonated with the whole world.”
That award was followed by the Oscar for best sound, which went to the team from “F1,” represented by Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo and Juan Peralta.
Documentarians share the mic with mother of a school shooting victim
Netflix’s “All the Empty Rooms” took home the Oscar for best documentary short film.
Filmmakers Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones took the time during their acceptance speech to highlight the stories of children killed in school shootings — the central theme in the winning film.
One of the mothers of a student killed in the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, shared her daughter’s story at tonight’s award ceremony.
About the film: “All the Empty Rooms” takes viewers inside the bedrooms of children killed in school shootings across America.
Over seven years, CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp traveled the country to document bedrooms left largely untouched, capturing intimate portraits of how parents preserve their children’s spaces long after they’re gone.
Part of their sad odyssey is captured in the 35-minute documentary by Joshua Seftel. It chronicles items, and moments, frozen in time: an uncapped tube of toothpaste, an unmade bed, a pile of unwashed laundry and hair ties still looped around a doorknob.
CNN’s Faith Karimi contributed reporting.
