The 2026 Oscars Did Not Disappoint

A first-ever win for a female cinematographer, a standing ovation that should have happened years ago, and an entertaining host who landed his jokes. Here are a few things that stood out from the annual award night.

Oscar statuette illuminated on stage during award ceremony

The 2026 Oscars premiered on Sunday March 15, and gave viewers some things to talk about beyond what each celebrity wore on the red carpet. Regardless of if you were able to stay up and watch the entire award ceremony or saw a few clips of the best moments from social media, here are some of the moments worth highlighting. 

One Battle After Another, a political thriller, and Sinners, an action and horror film both from Warner Bros., were some of the main events of the evening. Sinners won four Oscars, including Original Screenplay and Cinematography, while Paul Thomas Anderson, the director of One Battle After Another, won six, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The rivalry between each film started because they were huge commercial and critical successes, skipped the festival circuit entirely, and went straight to theaters. 

This matters because it almost never happens. Throughout the entire award season, it was basically two high-profile movies from the same filming studio competing against each other. One Battle After Another dominated most of the previous award ceremonies like the Golden Globes and BAFTAs, but Sinners had a record-breaking 16 nominations Sunday night, which made it seem like the outcome could go either way. 

Another noteworthy moment was Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s win for Best Cinematography for Sinners. This was definitely a main talking point on social media in the days that followed. She is the first female winner in that particular category, ever, in 98 years. Although the accomplishment is admirable, and a massive milestone in her career, many took to social media to share their disappointment in how long it took for a female to win this category. So many people were moved by this win. Some other noteworthy female winners from the night were Jessie Buckley Best Actress and Amy Madigan Best Supporting Actress. 

Moving on to another major moment of the evening was Michael B. Jordan’s win for his performance in Sinners. This earned him the Best Actor award, and his win was followed by a standing ovation that lasted four minutes. Hugs were given to Jordan by fellow nominees in the category Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio Del Toro. It didn’t seem staged or practiced and instead felt like a moment everyone in the room appreciated. 

Awards ceremonies can often feel the same routine of trophies being passed out with long commercial breaks that make it hours long. But, a moment like this for Michael B. Jordan felt very genuine from a viewer perspective.

Then there was the mayhem that left the audience and viewers at home completely confused. For the seventh time in Oscar history, there was a tie in the Best Live Action Short Film category. Kumail Nanjiani, the presenter, needed to pause and truly persuade the audience that he wasn’t kidding. The tie was between The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva. It’s interesting how even if the entire broadcast is planned and practiced, something like this can still manage to sneak in and steal the show. 

The Academy appeared to get everything right, which is what set the 2026 Oscars apart from those in previous years. Wins in prior ceremonies have seemed to some as superficial or predictable, as if the room was just going through the motions. 

However, instances like Michael B. Jordan receiving a four-minute standing ovation from the entire audience and Autumn Durald Arkapaw becoming the first female winner of Best Cinematography in 98 years demonstrated that the audience reacts when the Academy makes decisions that truly matter. People weren’t applauding as the routine, they were meaning it. And responses like these serve as a reminder of why, despite their flaws, award shows like this are still important.