From Michael B. Jordan to Amy Madigan, here are the most talked about moments from the 98th Academy Awards.
That’s all she wrote for the 98th Academy Awards.
The 2026 Oscars was full of winners and losers, extravagant dresses and bold fashion. And of course some moments were better than others.
The ceremony was emotional and eventful, from historic victories such as becoming the first woman to win Best Cinematography and the seventh Oscar in history to awkward silences, moving eulogies and a very long speech from host Conan O’Brien.
In case you missed some or all of the long, glittering ceremony on ABC and Hulu, we’ve rounded up the biggest, best, and even worst moments of the night.
Too many Oscar hosts Conan O’Brien
His monologue was polite and bland, and deserved a few laughs, but overall Conan O’Brien’s presence at the ceremony was too heavy and there wasn’t enough return on investment. His opening montage and monologue was nearly 20 minutes long, and the intercategory portions were played with boring stereotypes and cheesy punchlines. Every time O’Brien appeared, it felt like just a filler compared to all the emotional, pure moments that night.
Amy Madigan wins Best Supporting Actress award, kicks off the night with a delighted but “panicked” win
Veteran actress Amy Madigan became a surprise favorite this awards season with her goofy, all-out performance as Aunt Gladys in the horror film Weapons. The actress was first nominated in 1986 and referenced the huge passage of time in her sweet acceptance speech, saying, “All the press asked me, ‘It’s been 40 years. What’s different?'” The difference is that I have this little golden thing! ”
“Sinners” thrills the venue with their performance of “I Lied to You”
“Sinners” breakout star Myles Caton brought the juke joint to life alongside a killer line of musicians and performers in a rousingly euphoric performance. Sharing the stage with the song’s co-writer Rafael Saadiq, Shabouzi, Brittany Howard, and ballet legend Misty Copeland, Caton and his mesmerizing ensemble captured the essence of the Oscar-nominated film in just a few minutes. It was cool, numbing, and moving, as all great movies are.
Anne Hathaway and Anna Wintour bring ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ to life
In honor of the upcoming “The Devil Wears Prada” movie (released May 1), Anne Hathaway, along with former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who inspired Meryl Streep’s “The Devil” fashion editor, took home Best Costume, Makeup, and Hairstyling at the Oscars, along with a hilarious reference in the first film where Wintour calls Hathaway “Emily,” like Streep’s character.
That night’s historic bond is almost completely ruined.
This is the seventh time in history that Oscar voting has ended in a tie. “The Singers” and “Two People Swapping Saliva” both walked away with gold statuettes for best live-action short film. However, the moment was almost ruined when the makers tried to cut off the acceptance speech of the ‘Saliva’ filmmakers. Instead of just playing the producers’ acceptance speeches, they pulled back the microphone and cut to O’Brien. After an awkward moment of groans from the audience and O’Brien trying to keep a straight face, the camera turned back to the winner.
Ryan Coogler wins Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for ‘Sinners’
Ryan Coogler, who made the allegorical historical vampire film Sinners the most Oscar-nominated movie in history, won his first Oscar for screenwriting. The writer and director accepted the award from Marvel friends Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. amidst a raucous standing ovation that had to be quieted in order to be heard. This was the most joyous moment of a bliss-filled evening for the winners.
A moving tribute to those we’ve lost, including Rob Reiner, Catherine O’Hara, Robert Redford and Diane Keaton.
Every Oscar ceremony pays tribute to industry figures who have passed away in the past year, but it was a particularly heartbreaking time for Hollywood, which lost legends like Rob Reiner, Robert Redford and Diane Keaton. This year’s television broadcasts went beyond the usual montages and sad songs to bid farewell to icons of the film world. A stage filled with Billy Crystal and Reiner’s beloved film alumni paid tribute to Reiner’s actor, producer, and director. Rachel McAdams was close to tears as she spoke of her respect and admiration for Keaton. Barbra Streisand spoke candidly and emotionally about Redford, channeling her emotions in the way only she can, picking up the microphone and singing the lyrics to the title song of her and Redford’s 1973 film The Way We Were.
Cast members of “Bridesmaids,” Marvel movies “The Avengers,” and “Moulin Rouge!” We met again
Downey and Evans haven’t worn supersuits together in a Marvel superhero movie since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, but they donned penguin suits as presenters. And they weren’t the only big reunion on Oscar night. Bridesmaids stars Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper and Maya Rudolph took to the stage to accept two awards, detailing how well they’ve aged and nodding to jokes from the original film. No wedding dress was harmed during the joke. The final reunion of the night was perhaps the biggest, with Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman singing “Moulin Rouge.” A line before announcing the best photo.
The performance of “Golden” was too slow, and the climax too cold.
Fans had to stay up well past their bedtime to watch EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Lei Ami sing the chart-topping “Golden” from Netflix’s animated (and now Oscar-winning) hit “K-Pop Demon Hunters.” The film’s singers took to the stage until nearly 10 p.m. ET, belting out an abbreviated version of the song in matching metallic outfits. Considering the song’s huge cultural influence, it lacked the bombast of other performances of the song, making it a bit anti-climactic. The Oscar he won minutes later would be nothing more than a consolation prize.
Paul Thomas Anderson wins coveted Oscar for screenplay and direction
Director, writer, and producer Paul Thomas Anderson has a long history in Hollywood, receiving multiple nominations dating back to 1998’s “Boogie Nights.” But it was the 2025 film “One Battle After Another” that finally landed him on the stage for two of the night’s biggest awards: Best Original Screenplay and Best Director. A visibly moved Anderson joked that the film academy “made him work hard” for his win.
Michael B. Jordan and Jessie Buckley celebrate their mother with Best Actor and Actress awards
Many people receive standing ovations at the Academy Awards, but not everyone gets the audience to scream like they did when Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for Sinners. Thanking God, his mother (and date) and father, who had flown in from Ghana, Jordan gave one of the best speeches of the night.
Shortly after, Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for “Hamnet,” dedicating it to “the beautiful turmoil of a mother’s heart.”
“We all belong to a lineage of women who continue to create despite adversity,” she said.
‘One Battle After Another’ wins awards season battle and wins Best Picture Oscar
Picking up his third trophy of the night, Anderson joined the jubilant cast (including Teyana Taylor, who was literally jumping for joy) on stage to say the final words of the night. “We’re thrilled to be a part of this wonderful, wonderful journey with our fellow nominees, our fellow filmmakers. … What a great night, everyone. Let’s have some martinis. This is truly amazing.”
