The golden statuettes have been distributed, the red carpet is in the process of retrieval and the 98 th Academy Awards have already taken their place in the books of history. It was a night of long-term coronation, and the titanic political epic of One Battle After Another by Paul Thomas Anderson took all six Oscars, including Best Picture and the long-awaited first win as Best Director in a career of the old maestro.
However, in addition to the number of trophies, the 2026 Oscars at Dolby Theater in Los Angeles was a very human experience. Once again hosted by Conan O’Brien, the ceremony struck the right balance in one part between Hollywood glamour and on the other hand the harsh and emotional reality of a world that was currently struggling with geopolitical tension.
The Night of the First-Timers: Michael B. Jordan and Jessie Buckley
Emotional heartbeat of the ceremony was given out by the acting categories. This year was a close-call race that many pundits deemed as too close to call, but Michael B. Jordan was the winner of the Oscar of Best Actor due to his feral acting in Sinners by Ryan Coogler. As he went on stage, the room erupted in a standing ovation which appeared to be more of an eternity. Jordan, who was a mainstay of the business in the 10-plus-year industry, appeared to be shaking, dedicating his victory to the quiet warriors who work to ensure their stories are heard.
The victory of Jessie Buckley in the category of Best Actress was also a heartfelt one. Having been nominated as Best Supporting Actress in Hamnet because of her depiction of Agnes Shakespeare, the win by Buckley became the first instance of an Irish actress to ever secure a win in this category. In the most humanizing moment of the movie star image, she gave a heartfelt update of her eight month old daughter, Isla, who had received her first tooth that week.
A Historic Night to Women behind the Lens
Among the most important roar-of-the-crowd moments, one can mention the technical presentations. Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first female Director of Photography in the history of the Academy to receive Best Cinematography on her work on Sinners.
When she was standing on the stage, Arkapaw requested all the women in the room to stand with her. The image of hundreds of female filmmakers, actresses, and executives standing up was a strong visual of the progress made by the industry, although she pointed out how much more she has to do. This was one of four wins by Sinners, which went into the night with an astronomical 16 nominations.
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Global Vibrations: K-Pop and World Success
Through the 98th Oscars, it was also revealed that the one-inch barrier of subtitles is squarely gone, as well. KPop Demon Hunters by Netflix was not only the winner of Best Animated Feature, but it was also the winner of Best Original Song with the song “Golden” in it.
The win was historic, being the first K-Pop song to receive an Oscar, and the speech given by the director Maggie Kang was an empathy and representation masterpiece. To everyone who appears like me, Kang said, I am sorry it took us so long to get in a movie like this. But it is here, it means that the next generation does not have to go longing.
