By Mahnoosh Arsalan
Staff Writer
The 2026 Oscars took place on March 15, causing film lovers everywhere to cry tears of both happiness and anger.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” took home the most Oscars, winning six out of its 13 nominations. Following that is Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” winning four out of its record-breaking 16 nominations.
Michael B. Jordan and Jessie Buckley are now Oscar winners. Jordan won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Smoke and Stack in Coogler’s “Sinners.” This monumental performance will be talked about for years to come, a very well deserved win.
Buckley won Best Actress for her role as Agnes in “Hamnet.” A haunting, visceral and beautiful portrayal of motherhood and grief, Buckley absolutely excelled. Buckley is also the very first Irish actress to ever win the award, another incredible feat to add to her repertoire.
The Best Director title was awarded to Anderson for “One Battle After Another,” causing some controversy within film fanatics. While this is a very well deserving win, many “Sinners” fans believe Coogler should have won instead. Both directors hold immeasurable talent, and ultimately share success in their stories.
This year’s Academy Awards made history with Autumn Durald Arkapaw becoming the first woman to win the Cinematography category for “Sinners,” as well as the first woman of color to ever be nominated. This win was extremely deserved and well received, her work on the film was extraordinary. Her previous works include “The Last Showgirl,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Palo Alto,” all beautifully shot films with meaning behind every individual frame.
Something very poorly received by fans of the award ceremony is the acceptance for Best Original Song, in which “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” won. The winning team was cut off in the middle of their speech, and while many Oscar winners have been given chances to continue their speech despite the obvious walkout music, this particular time was unacceptable. The team already had reduced time due to other winners holding the stage for their acceptances for an extended period of time, ultimately not giving the “Golden” winners the chance to fully accept the win.
The ceremony started off with a shocking win, with Amy Madigan receiving the Best Supporting Actress award for her portrayal of Aunt Gladys in “Weapons.” Fans of the film have been shocked since awards season began, not expecting to see Madigan’s name anywhere in the race since the horror genre is hardly ever awarded. Many thought Teyana Taylor would take home the Oscar, as she won the same award at the Golden Globes, but both actresses are immensely talented and deserving of praise. Madigan’s performance was whacky, raw and fun to watch. Taylor’s was also raw but heartbreaking and meaningful.
Another incredible feat was Sean Penn’s Best Supporting Actor win for Steven Lockjaw in Anderson’s “One Battle After Another.” Penn has now joined the exclusive group of three-time Oscar winners, and he wasn’t even there to accept the award. His previous wins belong to his performances in “Mystic River” and “Milk.” Penn’s portrayal of Lockjaw was absolutely incredible and hard to watch. He took this role to a whole new level, with an unseen sense of villainy and annoyance. Penn won the Screen Actors Guild Award for this performance but was snubbed throughout the rest of the awards season. This Oscar was rightfully given to him.
The Oscars will always be a place for love and debate. No two people will ever have the same opinions on each and every win, but this night is a beautiful celebration of film. Every film nominated at this year's Oscars contributed to the art of filmmaking, and the mere thought of being nominated for this prestigious award is a feat in itself. You can see the full list of winners on the Academy website.
