‘One Battle After Another’ wins best picture at 98th Academy Awards
LOS ANGELES — Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” was crowned best picture at the 98th Academy Awards, handing Hollywood’s top honor to a comic, multi-generational American saga of political resistance.
The ceremony Sunday was a long-in-coming coronation for Anderson, a San Fernando Valley native who made his first short at age 18 and has been one of America’s most lionized filmmakers for decades. Before Sunday, Anderson had never won an Oscar.
The Oscar night belonged to Warner Bros., the studio of “One Battle After Another” and Ryan Coogler’s vampire tale “Sinners.” It was an oddly poignant note of triumph for the fabled studio, which weeks earlier agreed to a sale to Paramount Skydance, David Ellison’s rapidly assembled media monolith. The deal, which awaits regulatory approval, has Hollywood bracing for more layoffs.
“Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” were each Hollywood anomalies: big-budget originals born from a personal vision. In a year where anxiety over studio contraction and the rise of artificial intelligence often consumed the industry, both films gave Hollywood fresh hope.
Jessie Buckley won best actress at the 98th Academy Awards for her performance as Agnes Shakespeare in “Hamnet,” making her the first Irish performer to ever win in the category.
At an Oscars where no other acting award seemed a sure thing, Buckley cruised into Sunday’s Oscars at the Dolby Theatre as the overwhelming favorite. In the last decade, Buckley has quickly established herself as a widely admired actor, on stage and screen, and her anguished performance in “Hamnet” was arguably the defining tearjerker of 2025.
In her seat, Buckley immediately plunged her head into her hands.
“It's Mother's Day in the U.K.,” said Buckley on the stage. “I would like to dedicated this to the beautiful chaos of a mother's heart.”
Paul Thomas Anderson won his first Oscar for best director, a long-in-coming coronation for the “One Battle After Another” filmmaker.
“You make a guy work hard for one of these,” said Anderson.
Michael B. Jordan won best actor for his double-duty performance as the twins Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners.”
The win was a triumphant moment for Jordan, whose ascent to Hollywood stardom began, partly, with Coogler’s feature debut, 2013’s “Fruitvale Station.”
The Dolby Theatre rose to its feet in the most thunderous applause of the night.
“Yo, momma, what’s up?” said Jordan after staggering to the stage.
Later, Jordan added: “I stand here because of the people who came here before me,” listing best actor winners from Sidney Poitier to Will Smith.
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