This March, the Oscars — an annual award ceremony administered by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in California to honor mentionable film achievements — hosted its 98th Academy Awards.
This year’s Oscars, like many of the award ceremonies before it, gave light and congratulated Hollywood’s famous art form: film. Actors, singers and directors alike gave thanks and received praise for their hard work.
Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role as Smoke in “Sinners.”
For the first time since her retirement in October 2025 and a full hip replacement, American ballet dancer Misty Copeland took the stage for the “I Lied to You” musical tribute for “Sinners.” She danced in a firebird inspired costume and received a standing ovation.
Sean Penn won Actor in a Supporting Role for “One Battle after Another.” Jessie Buckley won Actress in a Leading Role while Amy Madigan, who won Actress in a Supporting Role, held in her hands the bronze stylized knight figure with a crusader sword.
Lasting moments from the ceremony included the host Conan O’Brien using Madigan’s supporting role in “Weapons” as Gladys Lilly to congratulate all the films at the Oscars.
Moments of gratitude and joy, like Paul Thomas Anderson’s speech for winning Best Director, went viral.
“It’s an honor to be counted amongst you guys,” Anderson said. “There will always be some doubt in your heart that you deserve it, but there is no question of the pleasure of having it for myself.”
Anderson added, “a guy works hard for one of these [an Oscar].”
Autumn Durald Arkapaw, photography director of “Sinners,” was the first woman and woman of color to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography. Like Anderson, she showed gratitude and joy for people who she credits as helping her along the way.
“I have felt so much love from all the women on this whole campaign and gotten to meet so many people, and I just feel like moments like this happen because of you guys, and I want to thank you for that,” Arkapaw said.
KPop Demon Hunters won two Oscars, one for Best Animated Film and another for Best Original Song. The singer behind Rumi in the film — Kim Eun-jae, known as Ejae — took this moment to shed light on how far K-pop as a genre has come.
“Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop, but now everyone is singing our song and all the Korean lyrics,” she said in her speech.
This year’s Oscars had 26 presenters, including stars such as Kieran Culkin, Zoe Saldaña, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Hathaway, Paul Mescal, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jimmy Kimmel, Ewan McGregor and Pedro Pascal.
There is no clear or consistent way the Academy chooses its presenters; a mix of personal relationships with the winner, the tradition of having past winners presenting and randomness are involved in the selection process.
With 24 categories and an equal number of winners, but four who miss out on the award for each, questions about who, why and what is awarded are commonplace.
The Academy’s voting process starts with procedures. Eligible members from the 19 branches determine nominations for the Best Picture section.
For other categories, eligible voters from specific branches determine the nomination. After hierarchies about who decides what are established, the actual voting takes place. Nominations and voting follow the preliminary vote.
For the total number of categories, eligible voters cast ballots in their respective branches.
Results are aired on digital platforms like Hulu and Disney+, as well as broadcast live on Oscar.com. Finals involve members voting in all 24 categories.
