TheInterviewTimes.com | March 16, 2026 | 11:36 AM IST
Discover the full 98th Academy Awards winners list. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another claims Best Picture, Best Director, and more at Oscars 2026. Sean Penn joins elite triple winners club.
Historic Best Picture Triumph
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another swept the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, 2026, securing Best Picture and five other Oscars for a total of six victories. The black comedy action-thriller, inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, follows an ex-revolutionary pursued by a corrupt military officer, blending political intrigue with high-stakes action. This marked Anderson’s first Oscar after 14 nominations, including prior Best Director nods for There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread, and Licorice Pizza.
The film’s win capped a strong awards season, highlighting themes of immigration, racism, and systemic corruption through an ensemble cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and newcomer Chase Infiniti.
✍️ The words that started it all! PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON wins Best Adapted Screenplay for ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER! A masterful script for a masterful film!
— Oscars 2026 (98th Academy Awards) (@2026Oscars) March 16, 2026
🏆📝 See full Winner List: https://t.co/j34dMFiJw4#Oscars #Oscars2026 #PaulThomasAnderson #OneBattleAfterAnother… pic.twitter.com/zJYpDSdAJO
Anderson’s Emotional Double Victory
Anderson claimed Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, becoming the first to win both in the same year at the 98th Oscars. In his Best Director speech, he thanked peers like Josh Safdie, Ryan Coogler, Chloé Zhao, and Joachim Trier, calling them an unmatched group. For Adapted Screenplay, presented by Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, Anderson dedicated it to Pynchon and his children, apologizing for the world’s mess while urging them to foster decency.
Editor Andy Jurgensen also won Best Film Editing, contributing to the film’s technical prowess in its action sequences.
Sean Penn Enters Elite Triple Winners Club
Sean Penn earned Best Supporting Actor as Colonel Lockjaw, his third Oscar after Best Actor wins for Mystic River in 2004 and Milk in 2009. This places him alongside Daniel Day-Lewis, Jack Nicholson, and Walter Brennan as only the fourth male actor with three wins. Absent from the Dolby Theatre, possibly in Ukraine or Europe, Penn’s award was accepted amid jokes by presenter Kieran Culkin: “Sean Penn could not be here this evening or did not want to.”
Groundbreaking Casting Milestone
Cassandra Kulukundis made history with the first-ever Best Casting Oscar for assembling the film’s diverse ensemble, a category introduced for 2025 releases. She has worked with Anderson on all 10 of his features since interning on Hard Eight in 1996, including Oscar favorites like There Will Be Blood. Kulukundis dedicated the win to overlooked casting directors and praised discovering Chase Infiniti after reviewing hundreds of actors.
Other Major Acting Victories
Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for Sinners directed by Ryan Coogler, who also took Best Original Screenplay. Jessie Buckley claimed Best Actress for Hamnet as Agnes Shakespeare, becoming the first Irish winner in the category. Hosted by Conan O’Brien at the Dolby Theatre, the ceremony celebrated a mix of political epics and personal dramas.
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