All eyes were on the grand finale of Hollywood’s awards season at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15 as they celebrated the past year in film. Amid a tense global climate and ongoing war, the Oscars offered a reminder of the power of cinema to bring people together in the dark and offer a little more hope. This year’s ceremony highlighted the industry’s expanding diversity from the creative team behind KPop Demon Hunters to the success of Sinners. Host Conan O’Brien set the tone of the night best by calling the ceremony a tribute to film, global ideals, patience, and most importantly, optimism.
Check out the standout moments and winners of the night below.
The Academy Embraces Its Sinners
The night’s most anticipated and largest contender was Sinners with a record-breaking 16 nominations, becoming one of the highest numbers of nods ever received by a single film in Oscar history. Even at the film’s first mention in Conan O’Brien’s opening monologue, there were reverberant cheers and applause ringing throughout the theatre in support.
If there was one performance sequence people will keep talking about, it was “I Lied to You” from Sinners. Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq led a performance that recreated the film’s juke-joint atmosphere, with appearances from Misty Copeland, Brittany Howard, Shaboozey, Buddy Guy, Eric Gales, and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. The musicianship and scale of it all turned the number into one of the ceremony’s clearest standout moments.
The man of the hour, Michael B. Jordan, earned the first Oscar of his career, securing Best Actor in a Leading Role for his dual performance as twin brothers Smoke and Stack in the supernatural thriller. Notably, this marks Jordan as the sixth Black man to ever triumph in the category. Standing on stage, he was overwhelmed by a resounding standing ovation from his peers. In an emotional speech, the actor paid tribute to other black creatives who paved the way, giving nods to Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith, and Halle Berry. “To be amongst those giants, amongst those greats, amongst my ancestors, amongst my guys, … thank you for keeping betting on me,” expressing his gratitude for everyone’s support.
The win capped off a strong night for the film, claiming four total accolades, including writer-director Ryan Coogler’s Best Writing Original Screenplay, Best Music Original Score, and a groundbreaking Best Cinematography win for Filipino-American cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, who also became the first woman to ever accept the award in the category.
A Reminder of Values
A number of celebrities strikingly utilized the global spotlight of the event by taking a stand on the ongoing international crises, wearing pins calling for peace and speaking out. One of the night’s most overtly political moments came when presenters Javier Bardem and Priyanka Chopra-Jonas introduced the evening’s nominees and winner for Best International Feature Film. Bardem assertively ended his intro remarks, declaring “No to war, and Free Palestine,” prompting thunderous applause from the audience.
Danish-Norwegian director Joachim Trier, who shortly accepted the award for Sentimental Value, also concluded his speech with a similar sentiment. After thanking his entire team and collaborators, Trier reflected on the responsibility filmmakers and leaders share in times of crisis. Noting that the category represents voices from around the world, he praised the nominated films for confronting both present and historical struggles. He concluded by paraphrasing American writer James Baldwin, reminding audiences that “all adults are responsible for all children and let’s not vote for politicians that don’t take this seriously into account.”
A Golden Moment for South Korea
One of the most meaningful milestones of the night came when KPop Demon Hunters won Best Animated Feature Film, bringing Korean culture to the Oscars stage in a historic way. Their victory marked a major moment in culture and animation by recognizing the growing interest in diverse global storytelling. Accepting the award, Director Maggie Kang dedicated the win to Korean audiences, noting the significance of seeing Korean stories centered onscreen. “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. But it is here and that means the next generations don’t have to go longing. This is for Korea and Koreans everywhere.”
The singing voices behind Huntrix, EJAE, Rei Ami, and Audrey Nuna gave a showstopping performance of “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, which blended the beauty of traditional Korean culture and the charms of modern K-pop concerts. The rendition recreated a live adaptation of the film’s iconic historical demon hunting lore sequence, with a pansori vocalist, percussionists, and salpurichum (exorcism dance) dancers in traditional Korean hanboks. Transforming the Oscars stage into a spectacle of choreography and folklore storytelling, the Huntrix singers’ powerful vocals filled the room. The moment felt straight out of a stadium tour as glowing lightsticks illuminated the Dolby Theatre, waved by audience members across the room.
The animated action comedy also scored another historic moment when “Golden,” performed by EJAE, Rei Ami, and Audrey Nuna, won Best Original Song. Presented by the legendary Lionel Richie, the win marked the Academy’s first Oscar ever awarded to a K-pop song, signifying the genre’s heightened global influence. This came as no surprise as the track had swept this year’s award circuit, already having taken home a Grammy and Golden Globe.
Approaching the stage in tears, singer-songwriter EJAE reflected on how growing up, she was often teased for loving K-pop, only to now see audiences around the world singing along to her work, most notably with every Korean lyric. She emphasized that the recognition and track weren’t about success so much as resilience, connecting the win to her many years working within the music industry. She concluded with her immense gratitude to her family for supporting her and the rest of the team involved in bringing the magic of the track to life.
A Labor of Love From Montreal Wins in Animation
Another win for Canadian animators as Producers Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski took home an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for their stop-motion film The Girl Who Cried Pearls. The short film narrates a heartwarming and whimsical story about a poor boy in Montreal who discovers a girl who cries pearls. Lavis and Szczerbowski, though nervous, quickly broke the ice as Lavis joked, “People think it takes patience to take five years to make a puppet film. It actually takes patience to live with someone who takes five years to make a puppet film.” The directors then took time to thank their respective partners and children, the National Film Board of Canada, the film’s producers — Julie Roy, Marc Bertrand, and Christine Noël, and collaborators. Szczerbowski then gives a special shout-out to the city of Montreal and the team of artists they worked with, ending with a cheer to Canada.
Hamnet’s Win Celebrates Family and Motherhood
For her role in Hamnet as the character Agnes Shakespeare, Jessie Buckley took home an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role, making her the first Irish actress to win an Oscar in this category. Barely able to fathom holding an Oscar award in her hand, Buckley stood on stage expressing her gratitude, “Thank you so much,” before letting out a hearty laugh in disbelief, “This is really something!” Buckley continued, crediting the producers and her “shipmates for life — Hilda, Jessica, Lindy, and Zack,” and screenwriters Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell. Buckley gave special attention to her family, both her Irish family and her brand new family, first addressing her parents, “Mom, Dad, thank you for teaching us to dream and to never be defined by expectation and to carve from your own passion.” To her family with her partner, Fred and her 8-month-old Isla, she joked, “You’re my best friend, and I want to have 20,000 more babies with you, I do,” then to her daughter, “I love you and I love being your mom, and I can’t want to discover life beside you.” It’s plain to see that this role and Oscar are dedicated to family, and Buckley expresses excitement for the chaotic, adventurous, and heartwarming journey of motherhood. She finishes her speech with a very apt shout-out to Mother’s Day in the UK and recognition of the lineage of creative women before her.
One Award After Another
Sweeping through the awards with a whopping six Oscars, One Battle After Another is an action thriller film following Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), an ex-revolutionary forced to bear arms again when confronted with his old nemesis, who has kidnapped his daughter (Chase Infiniti).
Accepting two of the awards, Director Paul Thomas Anderson wins Best Adapted Screenplay, presented by Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., and Best Director, with Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as the presenters. First and foremost, upon accepting the awards, Anderson recognized the inspiration of One Battle After Another as an adaptation and thanked Thomas Pynchon, the novelist of Vineland, then thanked his family for “putting up with a writer.” Anderson notes that the next generation, including his own children, will be left with a “housekeeping mess that we left in the world that we’re handing off to them,” no doubt referencing the current political-social tension within and between countries. However, Anderson expresses hope and encouragement that the next generation will “bring back common sense and decency.” Anderson also posthumously dedicated his Best Director Oscar to Adam Somner, as well as thanked the people who had faith in his work.
Making history, Cassandra Kulukundis wins the first Academy Award for Best Casting. Kulukundis dedicated her award to other casting directors who never received recognition or a spotlight for their achievements during her acceptance speech. She ends with excited hope for the film to win Best Film Editing, a foreshadowing and segue to Andy Jurgensen, who takes home the Academy Award for Best Film Editing. Jurgensen opens his speech with a humorous thanks to his friends watching from a bar, adding “You can order some shots now.” He continues to share the recognition with his editing crew, Director Anderson, his family and partner, and a special dedication to his film archivist aunt, Barbara Hall. Continuing the winning streak, Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor. Though he was not able to attend, many praised him for his performance in One Battle After Another as the main antagonist, Colonel Lockjaw.
Finally, finishing up their run of awards, the cast and producers of One Battle After Another gather on stage in celebration and excitement for one last award for Best Picture, accepted by Adam Somner, Sara Murphy and Paul Thomas Anderson. Thanking family, producers, and even fellow filmmakers who did not receive recognition from the Academy, the speech was filled with emotion, gratitude, and honor. Anderson also thanked the film’s cast — Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro, Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn, Regina Hall, and “American girl” Chase Infiniti — for being the heart of the movie. The night was an incredible emotional rollercoaster for everyone involved, and as Anderson puts it, “What a night! You guys, let’s have a martini.”
As the curtain fell on the 98th Oscars, Hollywood’s biggest night stood out not only for its shiny trophies but for what they represented. From historic wins, groundbreaking firsts, and recognition of diverse stories, this year’s ceremony cemented the industry shaped by global voices. In a time marked by uncertainty, the Academy Awards became both a celebration of film and a reflection of the moment.
Curious about other award-winning films and shows? Check out our live recap of the 2026 Actors Awards here!
