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

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony took place on March 16, 2026, with several notable winners and losers. One Battle After Another emerged victorious in the Best Picture category, with its director, Paul Thomas Anderson, also taking home the award for Best Director. Michael B Jordan won Best Actor for his performance in Sinners, while Jessie Buckley was named the winner for Best Actress for her role in Hamnet.

In a closely contested category, Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman to receive the Oscar for Best Cinematography for her work in Sinners. She is also the first woman of color to win in the category.

Norway's first win in the International Feature Film category went to Sentimental Value, which was Norway's Oscar entry. This marks Norway's first win in the category after seven nominations.

The ceremony also saw several notable reactions from Bollywood stars, including Esha Deol, Shatrughan Sinha, and Hema Malini, who expressed their disappointment over the absence of Dharmendra's name in the 'In Memoriam' segment.

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony was marked by several other notable moments, including Timothee Chalamet's loss in the Best Actor category and the return of Marty Supreme empty-handed despite being nominated in nine categories.

The ceremony also saw Priyanka Chopra take the stage as a co-presenter alongside Javier Bardem, who demanded 'Free Palestine' during his introduction. The moment sparked a heated debate on social media, with many calling it a 'politicized' moment in an otherwise celebratory event.

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony was a night to remember, with several notable winners and losers, and a few moments that will be remembered for a long time to come.