Oscars 2026 Live Updates: 98th Academy Awards Final Hour Shapes Up In A Nail-bitter Between Sinners And One Battle After Another

In a second win of the night, KPop Demon Hunters bagged the Oscar for Golden in the Best Original Song category. The movie previously bagged the honour for Best Animated Feature Film. 

Sentimental Value went into the Oscars 2026 with 7 nominations. The Norwegian movie bagged the award in the Best International Feature Film category. Had India's Homebound made it to the final cut, it would have also been nominated in this category. Priyanka Chopra handed out the Oscar in the category. 

Priyanka Chopra presented the award for Best International Feature Film. The actress was introduced as ‘Nick Jonas's wife' by host Conan O'Brien at the Academy Awards. 

Golden from KPop Demon Hunters, which is nominated in the Best Original Song category, was performed at the Oscars 2026. 

The Oscar for Best Cinematography was bagged by Sinners. Nominated in most categories, this is the movie's third win for the night. 

Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another bagged a major win in the Best Editing category at the Oscars 2026. The movie now has 4, and highest number of wins for the night. 

F1 was nominated in three categories at the 98th Academy Awards. The Brad Pitt starrer bagged its first honour for the Best Sound category. 

Sean Penn, now a three-time Oscar winner, was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the movie One Battle After Another. Penn has two previous Oscars, both for best actor, in 2009's Milk and 2004's Mystic River, and three previous Oscar nominations. 

The most-nominated movie of the night, Sinners, bagged its second award for the Best Score category. The movie earlier won the Academy honour for Best Original Screenplay. 

AI-generated photos of Deepika Padukone chatting up with Emma Stone at the Oscars 2026 red carpet have taken social media by storm. However, the photos are digitally altered and the actress is not in attendance at the 98th Academy Awards. 
 

Mr Nobody Against Putin bagged the Oscar award for Best Documentary Feature Film. 

All the Empty Rooms bagged the Oscar award in the Best Documentary Short category. 

Best Visual Effects Oscar was bagged by Avatar: Fire and Ash. 

Frankenstein has bagged the third Academy Award of the night. The movie, which has received 8 nominations at the Oscars 2026, bagged the award for Best Production Design. 

The highest nominated movie at the Oscars 2026, Sinners, finally bagged a win. Director Ryan Coogler took home his maiden honour in the Best Original Screenplay category. 

Paul Thomas Anderson has finally received his much-deserved Oscar recognition. The writer-director has been nominated for an award 14 times and has won his maiden tonight for One Battle After Another. 

Paul Thomas Anderson finally received his first-ever Oscar after being nominated for it 14 times. He bagged the award in the Best Adapted Screenplay for One Battle After Another.

Avengers co-stars Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr took to the stage to present the award for the Best Adapted Screenplay. The actor began the presentation with their signature banter. 

Sean Penn won the Oscar in the Best Supporting Actor category for the movie One Battle After Another. Nominated in 13 categories, the movie has won 2 awards until now. Sean Penn was not present at the award ceremony. 

The Oscar for Best Live-Action Short Film category ended up in a two-way tie. The award was shared by The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva

In 2026, the Academy Awards added a 24th category at the Oscars, Best Casting. One Battle After Another bagged the award, its first of the night. 

The Oscar award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling category was bagged by Frankenstein, making it the second win for the movie. 

Anne Hathaway and Anna Wintour presented the award for Best Costume Design. The duo's banter ahead of Devil Wears Prada sequel release became the highlight of their time on stage. Frankenstein bagged the award in the category. The movie is nominated in 8 other categories. 

 

Last year’s best actor winners Adrien Brody and Mikey Madison and supporting actor winners Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña will hand out trophies at the show, as will the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Javier Bardem, Maya Rudolph, Chase Infiniti, Demi Moore, Kumail Nanjiani, Anne Hathaway, Will Arnett, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Paul Mescal.

I Lied to You, which is nominated for the Best Original Song category at the 98th Academy Awards, was performed live on stage at the Oscars 2026. The other nominations in the category are Dear Me from Diane Warren: Relentless, Golden from KPop Demon Hunters, Sweet Dreams of Joy from Viva Verdi! and  Train Dreams title track.  

The Girl Who Cried Pearls makers bagged the Oscars in the Best Animated Short Film category. 

 

KPop Demon Hunters bagged the Academy Awards for the Best Animated Feature Film. The film's director and other members of the cast and crew lifted the trophy. They dedicated the win to Korea and the Korean people. 

Several of the Oscar-nominated films, including One Battle After Another, Sinners, Weapons and others, are now streaming in India.

Read More: 6 Oscar Nominated Movies To Watch Right Now On JioHotstar, Including Sinners 

For months, One Battle After Another has been the clear front-runner for best picture and best director but, in the past week, it’s looking like it might be in for a closer race in a showdown with Sinners. Sinners is this year’s leading nominee, breaking the record for most nominations by a single film with 16.

All categories Sinners is nominated in
Best Picture 
Ryan Coogler, Best Director 
Michael B. Jordan, Actor In A Leading Role 
Wunmi Mosaku, Actress In A Supporting Role
Delroy Lindo, Actor In A Supporting Role 
Ryan Coogler, Original Screenplay 
Costume Design 
Casting 
Original Score 
Cinematography 
Editing 
I Lied to You, Original Song 
Production Design 
Sound 
Visual Effects 
Makeup & Hairstlying  

 

Read More: Sinners Scripts Oscars History With Most Nominations For A Movie, Michael B Jordan Starrer Bags Record 16 Nods At 98th Academy Awards  

Ten films are nominated for best picture, as read by presenters Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman: Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners and Train Dreams.

The final nominations for Oscar 2026 were announced on Thursday, January 22. From India, Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound, which advanced to the final round of voting in the Best International Feature Film category at the upcoming 98th Academy Awards, did not secure a nomination.
 

Read More: Homebound Out Of Oscars 2026 Race, Ishaan Khatter-Vishal Jethwa Starrer Fails To Secure Nomination At 98th Academy Awards In Best International Film Category

This year, the Academy Awards have introduced a new, Best Casting category. Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, and Sinners have secured nominations in the category. 

Weapons star Amy Madigan took home the first Academy Award of the night in the Best Supporting Actress category. In her winning speech, the actress expressed gratitude to the writer and director of the movie, along with her daughter. Madigan was last nominated for an Oscar in 1986. The actress has bagged her maiden Oscar 40 years after her first nomination. 

In his opening monologue, Conan O'Brien took potshots at Timothee Chalamet's recent ‘ballet, opera controversy', along with digs at other socio-political conditions globally. 

This year's Academy Awards is taking place in the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The US and Israel invaded Iran on February 28, 15 days before the ceremony in Los Angeles, California. Fearing threat of an Iranian drone attack, the security at the Oscars venue has been beefed up. However, Hollywood is expected to power on.

Read: Oscars And War Not Happening Together For The First Time 

The Oscars take place at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, the home of Hollywood. The awards ceremony has been organised here since 2002. The state-of-the-art theatre in Hollywood, designed with the Academy Awards broadcast in mind, has a seating capacity of 3,300.

Read: Internet Loses Calm After Discovering Oscars Is Held Inside A Mall Next To A Cap Store | Watch

The 'Everyone Wins' gift bag handed out at the Academy Awards night has become known as the ultimate consolation prize. This year, the contents of the "gift bag" cost half a million dollars.

Read: Oscars 2026 Gift Bag Blends Luxury And Bizarre

Wolfgang Puck is the culinary genius behind the most coveted catering gigs in the entertainment world. He and his team have been preparing and serving food and drinks at the Oscars after party, the Governors Ball, for 32 years now. 

Read: Inside Oscars 2026 Menu: 120 Chefs To Prep Lavish Food, Drinks, Desserts 

Oscars 2026: The 98th Academy Awards will be held on March 15 in Los Angeles, California. Viewers in India can watch the event live online on the morning of March 16. Streaming begins at 4.30 am on JioHotstar. 

Read: Oscars 2026: When And Where To Watch 98th Academy Awards In India?