Oscars 2026: our highlights

The 98th Academy Awards brought together filmmakers, performers, and craftspeople from across the world to honour the year’s most remarkable achievements on screen. While the ceremony recognised a wide range of genres and voices, the evening was particularly notable for historic wins, breakthrough talent, and a striking presence from films that pushed boundaries both creatively and culturally.

Horror films make Oscars history

This year’s ceremony marked a remarkable moment for the horror genre, with eight academy awards going to horror films, the most awarded to the genre since 1992. Leading the charge was southern gothic, vampire horror Sinners, which made history by receiving the most Oscar nominations ever for a single film. The film ultimately took home four awards, including the prestigious Best Actor award for Michael B. Jordan, marking a career-defining moment.

Another historic moment came when cinematographer Autumn Arkapaw became the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography for her work on Sinners. In her speech, she highlighted the support and encouragement she received from the women she has worked with throughout her career, recognising their role in helping her reach this milestone.

Horror’s strong presence continued across other awards. Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Weapons, while Frankenstein also received recognition for Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

With two of the ceremony’s major acting awards coming from horror films, the genre firmly established itself as one of the defining forces of the year.

Jessie Buckley wins best actress for Hamnet

Jessie Buckley won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Hamnet, becoming the first Irish winner of the Best Actress award. Buckley’s portrayal was widely praised for its emotional depth and restraint, capturing the grief and resilience at the heart of the story.

Among the film’s credits are three MetFilm School graduates. Read here about graduate Max Mir’s experience working as part of the team behind Hamnet.

One Battle After Another wins best picture

By the end of the night, the dark comedy and action thriller One Battle After Another took home multiple awards. The film also won the final prize of the evening, Best Picture, standing out among nominees that included Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, and Train Dreams. Paul Thomas Anderson received Best Director, while Sean Penn was awarded Best Supporting Actor for his performance.

Celebrating the year in film

Together, the evening’s winners reflected the diversity and ambition of contemporary filmmaking, including genre-defying horror, intimate historical drama, and ambitious directorial achievements, demonstrating once again why the Academy Awards remain one of the film industry’s most prestigious celebrations.

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