Oscars 2026 Winners Highlights: One Battle After Another wins Best Picture; Priyanka Chopra nods as co-presenter Javier Bardem demands ‘Free Palestine’

During the 98th Academy Awards ceremony, host Conan O'Brien slipped in a reference to the Jeffrey Epstein case and its alleged connection to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly Prince Andrew, Duke of York) in his monologue. "It's the first time since 2012 that there are no British actors nominated for best actor or best actress. A British spokesperson said, 'Yeah, but at least we arrest our pedophiles,'" he said, referring to Andrew's arrest and also the fact that many others continue to roam free.

While presenting the awards for Best Documentary Short Film and Best Documentary Feature, television host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel took veiled digs at US President Donald Trump and television network CBS.

"There are some countries whose leaders don't support free speech. I'm not at liberty to say which. Let's just leave it at North Korea and CBS," he said. This, reportedly, was in reference to CBS' decision not to allow The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to feature Texas State Representative James Talarico as a guest.

"There's an 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. And there are also documentaries where you walk around the White House trying on shoes," Jimmy quipped, while wondering, "Oh man, is he going to be mad his wife isn't nominated?"

Although he didn't take names, it was evident that he was referring to the recent documentary revolving around the experiences of Melania Trump, the first lady of the United States.

Host Conan O'Brien concluded the 98th Academy Awards ceremony with a pre-taped epilogue, showing him being named the Oscars' "Host for Life" after his extraordinary performance tonight. But, well, we all knew that's just his dream, and it didn't take long for us to see him locked in an office, with green gas filling the room soon after. An unconscious Conan is then carried out by security.

In the most anticipated Best Picture category, Paul Thomas Anderson's black comedy action-thriller One Battle After Another emerged victorious, beating Sinners, Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, and Train Dreams. Thus, the movie ended up sweeping the 2026 Oscars with a total of six wins.

As we move to the last leg of the 98th Academy Awards ceremony, One Battle After Another is currently dominating with a total of five wins. Sinners follows closely behind with four awards.

In one of the biggest wins, One Battle After Another's Paul Thomas Anderson emerged victorious in the Best Directing category. This is the movie's fifth win in the ongoing ceremony. Actors Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, the stars of the upcoming movie The Drama, presented the award.

Dedicating his award to the late assistant director-film producer Adam Somner, Anderson said, "He's in a really big bar up in the sky right now. He's having a gin and tonic, and he is so happy." The filmmaker added, "There will always be some doubt in your heart that you deserve it. But there is no question the pleasure of having it for myself."

In a major setback for India, Indian-American filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir's movies failed to earn awards in the categories they were nominated for. She was the first woman ever to score double nominations in the Best Documentary Feature and the Best Documentary Short categories.

While her The Perfect Neighbor lost to Mr Nobody Against Putin in the Best Documentary Feature Film category, All the Empty Rooms bested her The Devil Is Busy in the Best Documentary Short Film category. Read More

Andy Jurgensen has clinched the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for his work on One Battle After Another, bringing the Paul Thomas Anderson directorial's total haul to four.

Marking the first win for director Joseph Kosinski's F1, the sports drama earned the Academy Award for Best Sound. The movie had clinched a total of four nominations.

Crushing India's hopes of bagging Oscars through Indian-origin American filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir, her films failed to clinch awards in the categories they were nominated for. While Mr Nobody Against Putin bagged the trophy for Best Documentary Feature Film, besting Gandbhir's The Perfect Neighbor, her The Devil Is Busy lost to All the Empty Rooms in the Best Documentary Short Film category. Television host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel presented the awards.

Defying all predictions, director Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein is dominating the 98th Academy Awards alongside Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another. In its third win, the movie has bagged the Academy Award for Best Production Design. Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau accepted the award. Frankenstein entered the Oscars race with a total of nine nominations.

Sinners just won its first Oscar, with Ryan Coogler earning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. "To my babies who are at home watching, I apologise for all the time away. I love y’all more than anything," he said. Actors Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans presented the award.

Earning director Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another its second Oscar, actor Sean Penn won the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Penn, however, didn't show up for the event. Actor Kieran Culkin, who won the award last year for his performance in A Real Pain, announced the winner and accepted the trophy on his behalf.

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony introduced a new category, Achievement in Casting, taking the total to 24. One Battle After Another's Cassandra Kulukundis became the first person to win an Academy Award for Achievement in Casting, thus making history. The other nominees in the category were Nina Gold (Hamnet), Jennifer Venditti (Marty Supreme), Gabriel Domingues (The Secret Agent), and Francine Maisler (Sinners).

Actor-producer Priyanka Chopra arrived for the 98th Academy Awards ceremony with her husband, singer-songwriter Nick Jonas. She is one of the presenters. The actor looked resplendent in a strapless white Dior dress. It had draped detailing, a leg slit and a feathered trim. She accessorised with a statement diamond necklace and black heeled pumps. Read More

In the Best Animated Feature Film category, the American musical urban fantasy KPop Demon Hunters, helmed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, emerged as the winner. Actors Will Arnett and Channing Tatum presented the award. In her acceptance speech, Maggie Kang dedicated the award to Korea and Koreans everywhere.

In the first win of the night, Amy Madigan bagged the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in director Zach Cregger's supernatural mystery horror film Weapons. Actor Zoe Saldana, who won the award last year for her performance in Emilia Pérez, announced the winner.

Welcome to SCREEN. And yes, it's time for this year's "Hollywood's biggest night" as the 98th edition of the Academy Awards is currently underway, with television host and comedian Conan O'Brien returning as host for the second year in a row.

While director Ryan Coogler's Sinners, which made history by receiving the most nominations (16) for a film ever, is leading the pack this time, Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another follows closely behind with 13 nods.

Stay tuned as we bring you live updates from the Oscars 2026 ceremony.