The 98th edition of the Academy Awards celebrated the achievements of filmmakers, actors and technicians from around the world. The ceremony took place at the Dolby Theatre and recognized films released during 2025. The event was hosted by Conan O'Brien and featured awards across several categories highlighting excellence in international cinema.
The biggest honor of the night Best Picture was awarded to the film One Battle After Another. The film also received the Best Director award for Paul Thomas Anderson and the Best Film Editing award. The success of the film made it one of the most recognized projects at the ceremony.
Another film that received significant attention was Sinners which won several important awards. Actor Michael B Jordan received the Best Actor award for his performance in the film. Sinners also won Best Original Score composed by Ludwig Goransson and Best Original Screenplay written by Ryan Coogler. The film further earned the Best Cinematography award for Autumn Durald Arkapaw making history as she became the first woman to win in that category.
The Best Actress award was presented to Jessie Buckley for her performance in the film Hamnet. The film also received nominations in several other categories including screenplay and music.
One of the memorable moments of the ceremony came in the Best Original Song category where the song Golden from the film K Pop Demon Hunters won the award. The song became the first Korean language track to receive this honor at the Academy Awards which many observers described as a milestone for global music in cinema.
In technical categories the film Frankenstein won several awards including Best Costume Design Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Production Design. These awards highlighted the film’s achievements in visual creativity and artistic presentation.
The Best Visual Effects award was presented to Avatar Fire and Ash while the Best Sound category was won by the film F1. These categories recognized the technical contributions that help create immersive cinematic experiences.
Among short film categories The Girl Who Cried Pearls won Best Animated Short Film while All the Empty Rooms received the Best Documentary Short award.
The Academy Awards ceremony remains one of the most prestigious events in the global film industry bringing together artists from different countries and film traditions. The event celebrates storytelling creativity and technical innovation in filmmaking.
This year’s ceremony was particularly notable for the number of historic milestones achieved by filmmakers and artists from diverse backgrounds. The recognition of international music cinema and creative achievements reflected the increasingly global nature of modern filmmaking.
With several films receiving critical and commercial recognition the 2026 Academy Awards highlighted the diversity of stories and talents that shaped the cinema landscape during 2025.
