The 98th edition of the Academy Awards delivered a night of historic wins and emotional tributes, with One Battle After Another emerging as the biggest winner after claiming the coveted Best Picture prize and finishing the evening with six awards.
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film capped off a dominant night at Hollywood’s most prestigious ceremony, reflecting themes that the filmmaker later suggested mirrored the tense political and social climate in the United States.
As captured, Irish star Jessie Buckley also made history, winning Best Actress for her performance in Hamnet, becoming the first Irish performer to claim the category’s top honour.
Another interesting moment came when cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman ever to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography for her work on Sinners. The film also secured Best Actor for its leading star Michael B. Jordan, marking a double triumph for the production.
In one of the evening’s rare outcomes, the award for Best Live Action Short Film ended in a tie between The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva, only the sixth tie recorded in the ceremony’s nearly century-long history.
Meanwhile, casting director Cassandra Kulukundis received the first-ever Oscar for Best Casting for her work on One Battle After Another, highlighting a newly recognised category at the awards.
The visual spectacle category went to Avatar: Fire and Ash, which won Best Visual Effects, continuing the franchise’s reputation for groundbreaking cinematic technology.
Following the ceremony, Hollywood’s elite gathered at the famed Vanity Fair Oscar Party, where stars including Nicole Kidman, Jeff Goldblum and Zoe Saldaña were among the high-profile guests celebrating the night’s winners.
Speaking after his Best Picture victory, Anderson initially joked about the moment before reflecting on the deeper themes of his film.
“I thought we were supposed to be partying,” he said, before acknowledging that the story resonates with ongoing debates in American society, including immigration, race and political division.
Meanwhile, Sinners writer and director Ryan Coogler used the occasion to honour his late uncle, James, who introduced him to blues music, an influence that became central to the film’s narrative and tone.
Best Actor winner Michael B. Jordan also paid tribute to legendary Black performers who paved the way for future generations, including Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry and Forest Whitaker.
Jordan emphasised that his focus has always been on the craft of acting rather than awards.
“My father always told me, don’t expect anything to be handed to you, do the work and everything else will figure itself out,” he said, adding that while the Oscar represents a pinnacle in the industry, every artist must remain committed to the work itself.
