Highlights from the 98th Academy Awards: A Night of Triumphs and Milestones

A Night to Remember at the Oscars

The 98th Academy Awards, held on Sunday, celebrated cinematic excellence with Leonardo DiCaprio's film, One Battle After Another, taking home six Oscars, including the coveted Best Picture and Best Director awards. Following closely was Michael B. Jordan's Sinners, which secured four Oscars after an impressive 16 nominations.

One of the standout moments of the evening was Michael B. Jordan's heartfelt acceptance speech for Best Actor, where he expressed gratitude, stating, 'God is good.' Ryan Coogler, the visionary behind Sinners, won for Best Original Screenplay, while Paul Thomas Anderson received the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Anderson shared his motivation for the film, saying, 'I wrote this movie for my kids to apologize for the mess we’re leaving behind, but also to inspire them to bring common sense and decency.'

Jessie Buckley earned the Best Actress award for her powerful performance in Hamnet, while Sean Penn and Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively, for their roles in One Battle After Another and Weapons. Notably, Penn, who became the fourth male actor to win three Oscars, was absent from the ceremony.

The documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin, which examines the suppression of free speech during the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, won Best Documentary Feature. Co-director David Borenstein highlighted the dangers of autocracy in his acceptance remarks.

KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix's hit film, triumphed in both the Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song categories, with co-director Maggie Kang emphasizing the significance of representation in animation.

This year also marked several historic achievements, including Cassandra Kulukundis winning the first-ever Academy Award for casting for her work on One Battle After Another. Additionally, there was a rare tie in the Best Live Action Short category, with Two People Exchanging Saliva and The Singers sharing the award. Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman to win Best Cinematography for Sinners.

Javier Bardem, while presenting the Best International Feature award to Sentimental Value, made a poignant statement against war and in support of Palestine.

Conan O’Brien returned as host, entertaining the audience with a humorous video parody and a monologue that poked fun at various topics, including Timothee Chalamet's remarks on opera and ballet.

The ceremony was politically charged, with presenters like Jimmy Kimmel taking jabs at former President Donald Trump and other stars using their platform to advocate for various causes.

The event took place at the iconic Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

Complete List of Winners

Best Picture: One Battle After Another

Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)

Best Actress: Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)

Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan (Weapons)

Best Supporting Actor: Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)

Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)

Best Original Song: Golden from KPop Demon Hunters

Best Original Score: Ludwig Goransson (Sinners)

Best Animated Film: KPop Demon Hunters

Best International Film: Sentimental Value

Best Documentary Feature: Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Best Casting: Cassandra Kulukundis (One Battle After Another)

Best Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw (Sinners)

Best Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler (Sinners)

Best Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)

Best Animated Short Film: The Girl Who Cried Pearls

Best Documentary Short Film: All the Empty Rooms

Best Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash