The 98th Academy Awards took place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Conan O’Brien hosted for the second consecutive year. Awards were presented across 24 categories, including the brand-new Best Casting category.
One Battle After Another led the night with six wins, including Best Picture and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson. Sinners followed with four wins, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan. Frankenstein took three craft awards. K-Pop Demon Hunters won two.
Oscar winners receive zero prize money. The Academy does not pay cash rewards, bonuses, or appearance fees. What they do receive is the gold-plated statuette, which costs roughly $400 to manufacture and cannot be resold without first offering it back to the Academy for $1.
Nominees in acting and directing categories also receive the “Everyone Wins” gift bag from Distinctive Assets, valued at $346,000 in 2026. That bag includes a $65,000 luxury villa stay in Ibiza, cosmetic procedures, wellness retreats, and a customizable prenuptial agreement. The nominees pay taxes on whatever they redeem.
The real financial payoff comes after the ceremony. Actors typically see a 20% salary increase on their next project after an Oscar win. Best Picture winners historically see massive box office surges. The statuette is worth $400. The career impact is worth millions. Here is every winner from every category.
2026 Oscar Winners: All 24 Categories
Below is the complete list. Winners are listed by category with the associated film.
| Category | Winner |
| Best Picture | One Battle After Another |
| Best Director | Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) |
| Best Actor | Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) |
| Best Actress | Jessie Buckley (Hamnet) |
| Best Supporting Actor | Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) |
| Best Supporting Actress | Amy Madigan (Weapons) |
| Best Original Screenplay | Ryan Coogler (Sinners) |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) |
| Best Animated Feature | K-Pop Demon Hunters |
| Best International Feature | Sentimental Value (Norway) |
| Best Documentary Feature | Mr. Nobody Against Putin |
| Best Documentary Short | All the Empty Rooms |
| Best Live Action Short | The Singers / Two People Exchanging Saliva (Tie) |
| Best Animated Short | The Girl Who Cried Pearls |
| Best Original Score | Ludwig Goransson (Sinners) |
| Best Original Song | “Golden” (K-Pop Demon Hunters) |
| Best Cinematography | Autumn Durald Arkapaw (Sinners) |
| Best Film Editing | One Battle After Another |
| Best Sound | F1 |
| Best Production Design | Frankenstein |
| Best Costume Design | Kate Hawley (Frankenstein) |
| Best Makeup and Hairstyling | Frankenstein |
| Best Visual Effects | Avatar: Fire and Ash |
| Best Casting (New) | Cassandra Kulukundis (One Battle After Another) |
Wins by Film
| Film | Awards |
| One Battle After Another | 6 wins (Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Casting) |
| Sinners | 4 wins (Actor, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Original Score) |
| Frankenstein | 3 wins (Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling) |
| K-Pop Demon Hunters | 2 wins (Animated Feature, Original Song) |
| Hamnet | 1 win (Actress) |
| Weapons | 1 win (Supporting Actress) |
| Sentimental Value | 1 win (International Feature) |
| Mr. Nobody Against Putin | 1 win (Documentary Feature) |
| All the Empty Rooms | 1 win (Documentary Short) |
| The Singers | 1 win (Live Action Short, Tie) |
| Two People Exchanging Saliva | 1 win (Live Action Short, Tie) |
| The Girl Who Cried Pearls | 1 win (Animated Short) |
| F1 | 1 win (Sound) |
| Avatar: Fire and Ash | 1 win (Visual Effects) |
Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Michael B. Jordan won his first Oscar for playing twin brothers Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. He beat Timothee Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke, and Wagner Moura.
He is the sixth Black man to win Best Actor and the first actor ever to win for a dual role. Sinners earned a record-breaking 16 nominations, the most in Oscar history.
Jordan brought his mother Donna as his date and thanked her for driving him to auditions when the family could not afford tolls. He is currently single. His decision to stay unmarried at the peak of his career is a story of its own.
Best Actress: Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
Jessie Buckley won for her role as Agnes, Shakespeare’s wife, in Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet. She defeated Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Renate Reinsve, and Emma Stone.
She became the first Irish actress to win Best Actress. The win capped a clean sweep of the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice, BAFTAs, and Actor Awards.
On stage, she thanked her husband Freddie and told him she wanted “20,000 more babies.” Freddie Sorensen is the most private spouse in Hollywood, and the full story of their relationship is worth reading.
Best Supporting Actor: Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)
Sean Penn won his third career Oscar for One Battle After Another. He was not present at the ceremony.
Penn has a history of skipping the Oscars, having previously no-showed as a nominee in 1996, 2002, and 2003.
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan (Weapons)
Amy Madigan won her first Oscar for her role in Weapons.
She competed against Elle Fanning, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Wunmi Mosaku, and Teyana Taylor.
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Paul Thomas Anderson won Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for One Battle After Another.
The film also won Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Editing, and Best Casting for a total of six awards.
Historic Firsts at the 2026 Oscars
Michael B. Jordan became the first actor to win Best Actor for a dual role. He is also the sixth Black man to win in the category.
Jessie Buckley became the first Irish actress to win Best Actress.
Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman of color to win Best Cinematography.
Cassandra Kulukundis won the first-ever Best Casting Oscar. The category was introduced for the first time at the 98th ceremony.
The Best Live Action Short Film category ended in a tie between The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva. This is only the seventh tie in Oscar history.
Norway won its first Academy Award ever through Sentimental Value in the Best International Feature category.
What Do Oscar Winners Actually Receive?
The Academy pays zero prize money. No cash. No bonus. No appearance fee. This applies to every category.
Each winner receives the Oscar statuette. It is made of gold-plated bronze and costs approximately $400 to manufacture. Since 1951, winners must sign an agreement that if they ever want to sell it, they must first offer it back to the Academy for $1.
Nominees in acting and directing categories receive the “Everyone Wins” gift bag from Distinctive Assets. In 2026, the bag was valued at $346,000. Over $200,000 of that value comes from luxury travel experiences alone.
Key items in the 2026 bag include a $65,000 Ibiza villa stay, body-sculpting liposuction from ArtLipo, a customizable prenuptial agreement, facial rejuvenation procedures, an Arctic villa getaway, and a luxury Costa Rican retreat. Physical take-home items are valued at roughly $6,000. Nominees pay taxes on anything they redeem.
The indirect financial impact is where the real money lives. Actors typically see at least a 20% salary increase after an Oscar win. Halle Berry’s per-film salary reportedly jumped from under $120,000 to several million after her win. Best Picture winners see surges in ticket sales, streaming numbers, and international licensing revenue.
Oscar Winner Compensation Breakdown
| What They Receive | Value |
| Direct Prize Money from Academy | $0 |
| Oscar Statuette (manufacturing cost) | Approximately $400 |
| Statuette Resale Value (Academy buyback) | $1 |
| “Everyone Wins” Gift Bag (nominees) | $346,000 (2026 value) |
| Typical Salary Increase (next project) | 20%+ on average |
| Gift Bag Tax Liability | Paid by nominee on redeemed items |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Oscar winners get prize money?
No. The Academy does not pay any cash prize, bonus, or appearance fee. Winners receive the statuette and industry recognition only.
How much is an Oscar statuette worth?
It costs roughly $400 to manufacture. Winners cannot sell it on the open market. If they want to sell, they must first offer it back to the Academy for $1.
What is the Oscar gift bag worth in 2026?
The “Everyone Wins” gift bag from Distinctive Assets is valued at $346,000 in 2026. It goes to all acting and directing nominees, not just winners.
Which film won the most Oscars in 2026?
One Battle After Another won six awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Casting.
How many Oscars did Sinners win?
Sinners won four Oscars: Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Best Original Screenplay (Ryan Coogler), Best Cinematography (Autumn Durald Arkapaw), and Best Original Score (Ludwig Goransson).
Who hosted the 2026 Oscars?
Conan O’Brien hosted for the second consecutive year. The ceremony took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and aired live on ABC and Hulu.
Was there a tie at the 2026 Oscars?
Yes. The Best Live Action Short Film category ended in a tie between The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva. This is only the seventh tie in Oscar history.
