Oscars 2026 as it happened: One Battle After Another & Sinners win big, backstage moments, and more

Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, riffing off of 14 years since the original Avengers was released in theaters, presented the screenplay prizes to two of the night's biggest competing filmmakers: Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another in Adapted Screenplay, and Ryan Coogler for Sinners in Original Screenplay.

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Both were greeted with rapturous applause, with Ryan receiving a standing ovation as well and then asking the cast of his movie to stand up and celebrate in their success. Definitely among the night's biggest highs.

We're 90 minutes in to the 2026 Oscars and so far we are two for two on our Oscars predictions focusing on the top six categories.

However, Cassandra Kulukudis's win for casting for One Battle After Another may be a good indicator that PTA's film will scoop Best Picture over Sinners.

Mike Hill, the Oscar-winning make-up artist, has revealed that he told Jacob Elordi "you will hate me" before they began working together on Frankenstein -- but now they are best mates.

"The make-up took ten hours head to toe, and Jacob and me - when we first met - I said, 'You will hate me, and I may hate you.' But we didn't hate, he is the nicest man, the most patient man in the planet. The man didn't complain even once, and now we are good mates!"

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Kieran Culkin presented his Best Supporting Actor successor to...Sean Penn in One Battle After Another!

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The actor unfortunately was not present to accept his prize, with Kieran joking he "didn't want to."

Not since 2013, when Best Sound Editing tied between Zero Dark Thirty (Paul N. J. Ottosson) and Skyfall (Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers) has there been a tie at the Oscars.

Moreover it has only happened six other times, most famously in 1969, when a shocked Ingrid Bergman announced a tie for Best Actress between Katherine Hepburn for The Lion in the Winter and Barbra Streisand for Funny Girl. 

Barbra had been somewhat controversially eligible, given it was her first movie, and the rule at the time was one is only able to be part of the Academy if you were a winner or nominee the year prior, of if one has been in at least three movies. Gregory Peck had invited her into the Academy.

Kumail Nanjiani revealed that for the first time since 2013, it's a tie!

For only the seventh time in Oscar history, we have a tie for Best Live Action Short, going both to The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva.

Paul Mescal, Chase Infiniti, Wagner Moura, Gwyneth Paltrow and Delroy Lindo graced the stage together to present the first ever Oscar for Best Casting.

And the Oscar goes to...Cassandra Kulukudis for One Battle After Another!

My peanut gallery/viewing party was split on this, with a majority predicting Sinners would take it after the SAG Ensemble win.

K-Pop: Demon Hunter co-writer and co-director Maggie Kang has called it "a real honor" to have won the Oscar.

"Being a fan of K-Pop since the 90s when it was first created, that is where my love started, and to see it be loved by audiences globally means so much to me," said Maggie after their win.

"To feature all aspects of my culture that I love, and to be accepted and loved by other cultures, it is so meaningful to a Korean filmmaker."

Amy Madigan had all the important questions backstage as a room full of journalists raised their paddle in the air: "How does this work, is it like bingo?"

Welll, kind of, Amy!

The Oscar winner reflected on her first nomination that came 40 years ago in 1986, and revealed that she is keen for a Weapons sequel, sharing that writer and director Zach Cregger has said it is "going to happen" but that, as always, it all depends on timing

"But if it worked out, that would be great," she said.

Ahead of the Devil Wears Prada sequel out in May, just ahead of the Met Gala, the one and only Anna Wintour stepped out alongside the one and only Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway, of course) to announce the winner for Best Costume Design.

The nod ultimately went to Benicio del Toro's Frankenstein, whose costume designer was Kate Hawley.

The two also presented Makeup and Hairstyling, which went to Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey, also for Frankenstein.

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"Sing in your voice, I promise the world is waiting."

What an inspiring acceptance speech that was from the team behind K-Pop Demon Hunters.

One of the ceremony's most anticipated moment happened early on, a performance of the Oscar-nominated "I Lied to You" from Sinners.

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Miles Caton led the spectacular segment, which included cameos from Shaboozey, Brittany Howard, and Misty Copeland, breaking out her ballet flats once again.

As expected, KPop Demon Hunters took home Best Animated Feature.

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Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans, and Michelle L.M. Wong took to the stage to accept the prize, although the crowd revolted when Michelle was played off just as her speech began. The music quickly cut back out to give her her moment.

Shortly after, Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski were on stage to accept Best Animated Short for The Girl Who Cried Pearls.

Two-time Oscar nominee Kate Hudson and her mother, Oscar winner Goldie Hawn looked stunning walking side by side together on the red carpet.

Kate, who was first and last nominated exactly 25 years ago for Almost Famous, is nominated for Best Actress for her role on Song Sung Blue.

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Our first award of the night has been presented, Best Supporting Actress goes to...Amy Madigan for Weapons!

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After an extended giggle, Amy kicked off her joyful speech with: "This is GREAT!" After a hilarious bit about shaving her legs (we love a relatable queen), she extended her gratitude to all the other nominees and the films recognized tonight, plus some love for her husband Ed Harris.

Conan O'Brien kicked off the night with a parody of Weapons' Aunt Gladys leading to the stage. His monologue immediately included digs at both Paramount and Netflix, plus a quick one at Timothée Chalamet's controversial comments about the opera and ballet community (which he and his date Kylie Jenner took in stride).

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Other digs spanned Bugonia, Hamnet, F1 (with a sequel Conan titles "Caps Lock"), Sinners, and even a dig at the academy at large. We're off to a searing start! Plus a mention that there are no British nominees in Best Actor or Actress, before getting in a dig about the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

Hello fellow Oscar fans! I am backstage at the Oscars, waiting for our first winners of the night. 

Conan O'Brien's opening remarks are going down a treat in the press room, what are your thoughts?

Leonardo DiCaprio, nominated tonight for One Battle After Another, debuted a subtle change to his look, ditching his usual stubble for a clean shave with just a mustache. Could that be the facial hair of a winner tonight?

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In the rare occasion that Teyana Taylor does not win the award for Best Supporting Actress award tonight, she has at least won every single red carpet leading up to the Oscars, each look more breathtaking than the next. 

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At a viewing party I'm in, the majority of opinions in the room turn to the potential snubs from this year's list of nominees. Chief among them is a surprising miss, Joel Edgerton in Train Dreams for Best Actor.

And despite its polarizing reception, Ariana Grande's absence in the Best Supporting Actress category for Wicked: For Good is still a surprise, especially given that she was recognized at every other major precursor ceremony.

Zoe Saldaña, who last year won the Best Supporting Actress nod for Emilia Pérez, returned to the red carpet this year in a stunning Saint Laurent dress, and a 9.68 carat Cartier diamond necklace.

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Barbra Streisand is set to pay an emotional tribute to her former co-star and friend Robert Redford as part of a particularly poignant In Memoriam segment.

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Ahead of the ceremony, two of the late star's grandkids, Lena and Dylan Redford, showed up to celebrate their grandfather's incredible legacy.

Sissy Spacek stepped out on the red carpet with her husband Jack Fisk, who she has been married to since 1974, and their daughter, Schuyler Fisk.

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The Oscars red carpet is well underway, but the big night itself kicks off at 7pm EST, live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

You can watch the ceremony on ABC, or it will also be streaming on Hulu.

Felicity Jones, whose film Train Dreams is nominated for Best Picture tonight, stepped onto the red carpet in a stunning pale yellow dress by Prada, adorned with dangling pearls.

Speaking with E! News on the red carpet, she noted: "I think like last year it's a really strong year for cinema."

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More Oscars night related trivia... did you know Sean Penn is far from the only famous, and talented, person in his family?

Learn all about his actor parents and siblings in the article below.

Heading into the 98th Academy Awards, Sinners leads the pack with 16 nominations, breaking the record for the most accrued by a film in one year. Following behind with an also impressive 13 is One Battle After Another, with the two in particular currently locked in a tight race for Best Picture. Here are the rest.

Among the acting nods, the big names for the night include Timothée Chalamet and Michael B. Jordan in Best Actor, Jessie Buckley in Best Actress, Amy Madigan, Wunmi Mosaku and Teyana Taylor in Best Supporting Actress, and Sean Penn and Stellan Skarsgard in Best Supporting Actor. I honestly cannot tell where the night is going to go, but if you want some of our predictions, check them out!

Did you know there have been several stars who've won both an Academy Award and a Golden Raspberry Award aka a Razzie? Did you know one of the world's most beloved stars won BOTH in the same year?

Did you also know that several of Hollywood's most renowned power couples are also both Oscar winners? Talk about double trouble!

While you're catching up on your Oscar history, take our 2026 Academy Awards quiz to see if you're up to date on everything heading into this year's ceremony...

For the second year in a row, comedian Conan O'Brien will host the Oscars, after last year's viral set that not only earned a bump in viewership, but also plaudits for a more brisk and breezy pace.

And by his side through it all is his loving family, including his wife of nearly three decades, Liza Powel O'Brien, plus their two kids. You can learn more about your host here...

Welcome to the 98th Academy Awards! The biggest night in film is set to get underway in just a few short hours, and Best Quality Designer Handbag is here to recap the night's big winners, viral moments, and everything else Oscar bait-y!

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Hollywood's biggest and brightest will soon be descending upon the famed Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the Oscars. So sit back, relax, and follow along!