One Battle After Another dominates the 98th Oscars with six wins including best picture
The 98th Academy Awards delivered a dramatic night of victories as One Battle After Another emerged as the biggest winner, securing six Oscars including the coveted best picture award.
The film’s triumph marked a major moment for its director, Paul Thomas Anderson, who also won the Oscar for best director. The film’s success capped a remarkable evening for the production, which collected multiple honours across key categories.
One Battle After Another also received the newly introduced Oscar for best casting. Cassandra Kulukundis claimed the historic award, becoming the first person ever to win in the category.
Kulukundis has worked with Anderson for more than three decades, collaborating with him on every film he has directed since she first joined his debut project Hard Eight as an intern. Speaking ahead of the ceremony, she reflected on their long creative partnership and praised Anderson’s dedication to filmmaking.
She noted that the director had spent years earning nominations without taking home the top prizes. With the latest film, however, Anderson finally secured major recognition from the Academy.
The awards ceremony also delivered several historic and emotional moments across the acting and technical categories.
Jessie Buckley won best actress for her performance in Hamnet, becoming the first Irish actress to receive the honour. Her win was celebrated widely during the evening, with fellow Irish actor Barry Keoghan praising her performance while speaking on the Vanity Fair after-party red carpet.
Keoghan said he felt proud of Buckley’s achievement and described her work in the film as deeply moving. He recalled attending the premiere of Hamnet and struggling to hold back tears during the screening.
Reflecting on the growing recognition of Irish performers in the film industry, Keoghan said the success highlighted the storytelling talent emerging from the island.
Another major acting award went to Michael B Jordan, who won best actor for his role in the film Sinners. The performance also contributed to another historic achievement during the ceremony.
Autumn Durald Arkapaw won best cinematography for Sinners, becoming the first woman ever to receive the Oscar in that category. Her victory marked a milestone moment for the film industry and added to the film’s recognition during the night.
The awards also featured a rare result in one of the short film categories.
The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva shared the Oscar for best live action short film in a tie. It marked only the sixth time in the nearly century-long history of the Academy Awards that a category has ended with a tie.
Elsewhere, Avatar: Fire and Ash secured the award for best visual effects, continuing the franchise’s reputation for technical achievements in filmmaking.
As the ceremony concluded, attention quickly shifted to the traditional Vanity Fair Oscars after-party. Major stars arrived to celebrate the night’s winners and join the industry gathering that follows the awards each year.
Among those spotted arriving at the event were Nicole Kidman, Jeff Goldblum and Zoe Saldana, joining a long list of actors, filmmakers and industry figures attending the celebration.
The evening ultimately belonged to One Battle After Another, which dominated the ceremony with six awards and delivered long-awaited recognition for Paul Thomas Anderson and his collaborators.