Short Recap of the 2026 Oscars

The 98th annual Academy Awards (or Oscars) took place the first weekend of spring break (Mar.15th). Here is a short highlight of the event if you didn't sit through the 3 ½ hours like I did.

Best Picture 🏆

One Battle After Another took the award in 6 categories, including Best Picture. This win was predictable but deserved. Instead of relying on one strength, One Battle After Another succeeded across the board. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film is set in a modern political landscape and follows a former revolutionary, Bob, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who is forced out of hiding while trying to protect his daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti), from his arch nemesis (Sean Penn). With a blend of action, dark comedy, and social commentary, the story remains engaging while also sharing an impactful and timeless message, allowing it to stand out as a truly intentional and exceptional film.

Teyana Taylor and Director Paul Thomas Anderson

Yet, with 6 wins, Anderson (the director) remains humble. Sharing the glory, in his acceptance speech, he mentions how subjective film is as he references the 1975 nominees and explains that there is rarely a single “best” film, just what resonates most in the moment. He also took time to recognize both the filmmakers and his cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro, Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn, Regina Hall, and Chase Infiniti, “The heart of the movie.” He ended the speech on a celebratory note, joking, “Let’s have a martini.”

The other 5 wins include Best Adapted Screenplay, Paul Thomas Anderson for Best directing, Cassandra Kulukundis was recognized for Best Casting, Andy Jurgensen for Best Film Editing, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role went to Sean Penn. (Available to Stream on HBO Max and Hulu)

Best Animated Feature 🏆

Kpop Demon Hunters took home two major awards, Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, continuing its strong award season run. After its accomplishments at the Annie Awards (10), Golden Globes (2), Critics Choice Awards (2), Grammys, and many others, the win was expected. If you are not familiar, directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the film follows a K-pop girl group who secretly live double lives as demon hunters, while the main character, Rumi, struggles with hiding a crucial part of who she is. The film's use of music, storytelling, cultural representation, and messages about

embracing and accepting your differences is proof that animation is not strictly for children or visual entertainment.

EJAE, along with others, accepting Oscar for Best Original Song

This theme ‌also continued into the film's original song “Golden.” With the

song's stunning vocal and lyrical choices, the film's pick for Best Original Song was only fair. Kang's acceptance speech emphasized how important it is for audiences to see themselves represented on screen. Being of Korean descent, she states, "and for those of you who look like me, I'm so sorry that it took us so long to see us in a movie like this." While EJAE, a South Korean-American singer, emotionally states that “This award is not about success. It’s about resilience.”(Available to stream on Netflix)

Best Actress 🏆

Well deserved, Jessie Buckley won the Oscar for Best Actress. Jessie Buckley has been consistently handing out amazing performances, but this one is truly special. This award was highly deserved after her performance in the movie Hamnet. The film follows the life of William Shakespeare and his family, specifically centering on the sudden death of his 11-year-old son, Hamnet. Buckley's performance is one of the biggest aspects of the film that made it so powerfully heartbreaking (Seriously, I am not one to often shed a tear while watching a movie, but this had me crying for 10 minutes in the theater, which is saying a lot.)

Her way of capturing grief felt so real, from subtle facial expressions to the gut-wrenching screams of a mother who has just lost her child. Accepting her award, she thanked the other nominees, saying she was inspired by their “art and heart,” and gave appreciation to her team and family. She also mentions how being a mother is one of the most meaningful parts of her life and dedicated the award to “the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.” (Available to stream on Peacock)

Best Actor 🏆

Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for his performance in Sinners. He is now one of only six Black men to win Best Actor in Oscars history. In Sinners, he plays twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, caught in a post-slavery, southern, and supernatural world. The film's message of Black and Asian culture and his performance are beautiful.

Michael at In and Out after the award ceremony

Balancing two roles at once is not easy, yet he seems to do it with ease, shifting smoothly between two different personalities. In his acceptance speech, Jordan thanked the director, Ryan Coogler, for giving him the opportunity to play the role. He also honored influential Black actors like Denzel Washington and actress Halle Berry, recognizing the path they have paved for him. Ending on a heartfelt note, he thanked his supporters and promised to keep growing. (Available to stream on HBO Max and Hulu)

Design Awards (Costume, Makeup, and Set) 🏆

These three awards, of course, went to Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein. Known for his signature dark fantasy style, del Toro once again proved why he stands out. This film, in particular, is one of his most well-done in terms of set design, costumes, and makeup. The costumes, makeup, and set design don't just look impressive; they actively help tell the story. The level of detail in the design is really what makes the film stand out. For example, Victor

Frankenstein, played by Oscar Isaac, is styled in red and elegant clothing that serves as a visual for his ambition and need for control. While Elizabeth, played by Mia Goth, wears bold, elegant dresses and jewels that make her presence impossible to ignore. Yet nothing beats the prosthetic work done on Jacob Elordi, who plays the Creature.

Each day, he would spend 10-12 hours getting into costume, which consisted of 42 individual silicone pieces to create a completely CGI-free costume. Nothing in this film felt random, from fabrics to lighting, everything feels intentional and a part of the story. From the incredibly detailed and haunting sets to elaborate costumes, every aspect of this film was beautiful to look at, and the awards were well deserved. (Available to stream on Netflix)

Memorable Moments

Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the night was filled with plenty of humor. This included a Casablanca-inspired skit where he joked that filmmakers now have to overexplain their plots to accommodate an audience that isn't fully paying attention, bits like a split screen with Subway Surfers and Gen Z slang to grab young viewer attention, and a fake ad about resizing movies vertically for phones.

There were also multiple shots fired at Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet. If you are not aware, Chalamet has recently been experiencing a lot of backlash from fans as well as the ballet and opera community due to comments he made in a recent Variety interview with Mathew McConaughey. He stated that he wouldn't work in ballet or opera, "or things where it's like, 'Hey, keep this thing alive even though... no one cares about this anymore.'"

Within the first few minutes of the ceremony, O’Brien references his comments, joking that security is high due to potential attacks from "the ballet and opera communities" and that “they’re just mad because you left out jazz.” Later into the ceremony, jokes escalated with the introduction of the “Chalamet bum drum,” where a musician played a beat on a sculpted prosthetic of Chalamet's backside. This was a reference both to his recent film Marty Supreme and seemed to be another attempt to embarrass him due to his recent comments. Despite all of the humor, comments on the importance of human creativity over AI were also made, as well as a memorial tribute to those in the film industry who we have lost.

Performances

The ceremony included performances from Best Original Song nominees, “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, and “I Lied To You” from Sinners. “I Lied To You” was performed by Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq, as well as

20-plus performers on stage, making it one of the most elaborate performances in recent Oscars history. The performance was in reference to the most notable scene in Sinners. It’s said that even after the camera cut to commercials, the performance continued, showing just how much effort went into the performance.

“Golden,” performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI, also lit the room up. With each audience member getting their own light-up wristband, along with the synchronized choreography being done on stage, it made the performance feel more like a K-pop performance than a typical award show segment.

The 2026 Oscars prove once again why the Academy Awards remain one of the most important nights in film. Beyond the awards, the ceremony highlights the creativity and hard work of some of the best artists in the industry. This year especially stood out. Although only one film wins Best Picture, each one of these films was truly something special. For the sake of time, I am only covering the surface, but I encourage everyone to go watch these films, even the ones I don't mention; you will not be disappointed!