Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another’ sweeps Oscars with six wins, including Best Picture and Best Director

The darkly comic thriller ‘One Battle After Another’ emerged as the big winner at the 2026 Oscars, taking home six trophies including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Paul Thomas Anderson. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a former revolutionary turned single father navigating personal struggles, while Sean Penn earned his third Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a military officer, though he did not attend the event. ‘Sinners’, another frontrunner with a record 16 nominations, secured four awards, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, who portrayed twin brothers in a supernatural story set in the segregation-era South. Jordan’s speech highlighted the legacy of Black actors such as Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington. Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman and first Black cinematographer to win the award for ‘Sinners’. Jessie Buckley took home Best Actress for her role as Agnes Hathaway in ‘Hamnet’, and veteran actress Amy Madigan, at 75, claimed Best Supporting Actress for ‘Weapons’. The vibrant ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ won Best Animated Feature and its song ‘Golden’ earned Best Original Song. Norwegian film ‘Sentimental Value’, directed by Joachim Trier, secured Best International Feature, marking Norway’s first win in the category. The ceremony honoured the late directors Robert Redford and Rob Reiner with emotional tributes from colleagues such as Billy Crystal and Barbra Streisand. Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the event unfolded amid global tension and industry uncertainty, as studios face mergers and shifting production hubs worldwide.