Oscars 2026: 'Sinners' wins Best Original, 'One Battle After Another' takes Best Adapted Screenplay

The 98th Academy Awards, the biggest and most prestigious event in the global film industry, got underway in Los Angeles at 4.30am on Monday (IST). Comedian Conan O'Brien returned to the event as its host for the second time. Amy Madigan took home the first award of the event by winning Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the supernatural mystery thriller 'Weapons'.

'Sinners', which has a record-breaking 16 nominations at this year's Oscars, won the award for Best Original Screenplay, while another popular contender 'One Battle After Another' took home the award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Korean film 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' received the Best Animated Feature, competing against 'Arco,' 'Eliso,' 'Little Amelie or the Character of Rain,' and 'Zootopia 2.' Meanwhile, 'Girl Who Cried Pearls' was adjudged 'Best Anime Short'.

American Gothic science fiction drama 'Frankenstein' took home awards in two categories, including Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyle. Cassandra Kulukundis, meanwhile, became the first-ever casting director to win an award in the category, which was introduced at this year's Oscars. 'The Singers' and 'Two People Exchanging Saliva' shared the award for Best Live Action Short Film, marking a rare tie at the Oscars.

Frontrunners
'One Battle After Another,' starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a one-time political radical now parenting a teenager, is among the frontrunners for the coveted best picture prize after stacking up trophy after trophy at recent ceremonies.

The vampire story 'Sinners,' a celebration of blues music and Black culture in the Segregation-era U.S. South, made a late surge with a win this month at the Actor Awards. The movie leads all films with 16 nominations, a record number in the nearly 100-year history of the Oscars.

Jessie Buckley is seen as a sure thing for best actress. She is nominated for playing Agnes Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare, as the couple navigate the death of their 11-year-old son in 'Hamnet.' The remainder of the top categories have no clear frontrunner, according to Hollywood awards watchers.

Winners of the gold Oscar statuettes will be chosen by the roughly 10,000 actors, producers, directors and ‍film craftspeople who make up the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The ceremony gives Hollywood a night to celebrate at a time of unease throughout the film business. Warner Bros., the studio behind 'One Battle' and 'Sinners,' is in the process of being sold to Paramount Skydance in a deal that will narrow the ranks of major film distributors. Workers in front of and behind the camera also are worried that artificial intelligence will limit job opportunities and stifle creativity and risk-taking.

Comedian Conan O'Brien will host the Oscars for a second time after his well-received performance a year ago. The show will be broadcast live on Walt Disney's ABC and streamed on Hulu. "We have a lot of fun things planned, and we're getting them up on their feet and seeing how they play at rehearsal. And then I'm hoping that we have some great choices for Sunday night," O'Brien said as he helped roll out the Oscars red carpet on Hollywood Boulevard on Wednesday.

Performers during the telecast will include the voices of HUNTR/X, the fictional band in animated film nominee 'K-Pop Demon Hunters.'

Producers said the show would reflect the growing presence of international films at the Oscars. This year, each category has at least one non-English-language film among the nominees. Norwegian drama 'Sentimental Value' and Brazil's 'The Secret Agent' are in the running for best picture