Beyond the nominees, winners, and iconic fashion, the Academy Awards (or Oscars if you’re in a rush) is film’s night of nights. The night of celebrating the art of film and everyone who takes part in making one of the world’s favourite medium of storytelling a reality.
In 2026, the 98th Academy Awards had lots of epic moments, from heartwarming speeches to funny bits from host Conan and record-breaking wins.
Some highlights included KPop Demon Hunter’s performance with dancers in traditional Hanboks, to Matt Berry’s iconic inflexion announcing the Oscar winners, to Bill Pullman telling his son Lewis Pullman that he “did just fine on your own” and hopes that the audiences don’t mind a sequel, “I hope they like it more than the original.
Here are all the best moments from the 2026 Oscars.
Conan O’Brien’s opening monologue
Conan returned this year as host of the Oscars. His opening monologue started off strong by commenting that this year’s Best Pictures sounded like “half-eaten lunch meat,” aka Hamnet and Bugonia.
He also gave a shout-out to Michael B Jordan and Sinners. He commended Michael’s prowess for performing two very distinct characters in the film. And so, Conan shared that every seat filler would be performed by Michael! We then saw a sea of Michaels.
Conan also poked fun at Leonardo DiCaprio and the thousands of memes his performances have led to. They attempted to make a new meme…not sure if it will take off.
Politics took centre stage at this year’s Oscars, from actors wearing badges on their lapels to end the war and free Palestine. In his monologue, Conan also pointed out that there were no British actors in the Best categories for the first time, but when he told the British, they replied: “But at least we arrest our pedophiles,” alluding to the allegations against Former Prince Andrew, who was arrested on his 66th birthday in connection with his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein
Conan ended his opening monologue with his dream of winning an Oscar for “Greatest Achievement”. It included an operatic setting, the fabulous Josh Grobin and a hawk delivering the Oscar to a caped Conan O’Brien on top of a snowy mountain. Epic is an understatement.
Timothée Chalamet gets teased and trolled
In recent weeks, Timothée Chalamet has been on the naughty list for ballet dancers and opera singers. He said in a roundtable interview with Matthew McConaughey, Timothée Chalamet sparked backlash by claiming he didn’t want to work in “ballet, or opera, or things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this any more'”. These remarks, aimed at arguing against working in fields with low mainstream popularity, were criticised by dancers and arts institutions. Even the Sydney Opera House made a statement on their socials.
So tonight, Conan and the Academy Awards people made a few subtle and not too subtle digs at the actor. There was, of course, the operatic interlude in Conan’s monologue.
Also, acclaimed ballerina Misty Copeland performed during the Sinners’ “I Lied To You” performance alongside artist Miles Caton and songwriter Raphael Saadiq. It was a special return to the stage for the retired American Ballet Theatre principal dancer. “I Lied to You was nominated for Best Original Song (it lost to KPop Demon Hunter’s “Golden”).
Then there was also a new special instrument added to the orchestra: The Timothée Chalamet bum drum, which was literally a guy beating a fake bum with table tennis paddles.
Comedic interludes featuring special guests
Conan broke up the evening with fun interludes featuring special guests. One was Jane Lynch acting in a YouTube ad format (as YouTube will be the streaming platform for the Oscars in the future).
There was also a promotion for a new movie production company who specialaised in formatting films for vertical mobile video (which cut out all the main parts of the action), and when their name was projected onto the mobile phone, its name cut down to “Turds”.
In response to production companies mandating that scriptwriters repeat the film’s plot and explain who the characters are over and over again, Conan O’Brien and Stirling K Brown re-shot a scene from Casablanca.
Devil Wears Prada meets Anna Wintour
Anna Wintour and Anne Hathaway had a Devil Wears Prada moment to present the Best Costume Design award. Anne Hathaway stars in the film adaptation of the novel of the same name, which is based on working with Anna Wintour. The magazine editor in the film is portrayed by Meryl Streep.
Anne spoke about how important costumes and fashion are to tell the story of a film. And turned to Anna, who was acting like she wasn’t paying attention, and asked her what she thought of her dress. Anna continued to ignore her.
“And the nominees are…” she said after putting on her signature sunglasses.
The winner was New Zealand-born Costume Designer for Frankenstein, Kate Hawley.
The two also presented the Make-Up and Hairstyling Award. When Anne asked Anna if she would like to read out the nominees, Anna responded, “Thank you, Emily,” to the delight of the audience.
New award category
This year, the Academy added a new awards category: Best Casting. Stars from the five nominated films presented the award, including Paul Mescal from Hamnet and Gwyneth Paltrow for Marty Supreme. However, the inaugural award went to the casting director for One Battle After Another, Cassandra Kulukundis
A rare tie in Oscar history
We’ve had debut winners and surprise losses, but something that doesn’t happen often at the Oscars is ties. In fact, it has only happened six times, 1932 (Best Actor), 1950 (Best Documentary Short), 1969 (Best Actress with Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn), 1987 Best Documentary, 1995 Best Live Action Short Film) and 2013 Best Sound Editing. It has now happened for a seventh time in 2026 and again in the Best Live Action Short Film category.
But in 2026, there was one!
“Ironic that the short film Oscars is going to take twice as long,” joked the award presenter Kumail Nanjiani during his presentation.
The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva both won.
Marvel reunion
Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans (aka Iron Man and Captain America) reunited to present the Best Adapted Screenplay award. Chris asked Robert what he got him for the 14th anniversary of the Avengers movie (crazy that it’s been 14 years). Chris got him a signed copy of the screenplay, and Robert handed him a valet ticket.
“You drove?” Chris asked incredulously.
“I’m a man of the people,” Robert replied. Later on, he presented him with Channing Tatum’s Magic Mike underwear, which Channing told him he needed to have back later for work.
An emotional In Memoriam
Rob Reiner remembered
Billy Crystal led the in memoriam. He gave a moving speech about the passing of his friend Rob Reiner, who was killed earlier this year.
“It was a thrill to see him evolve into a master storyteller,” Billy said of his friend and collaborator. He praised his “funny, charming films” and also those filled with “Misery” (playing on the title of one of Rob’s most beloved movies).
“Rob’s movies will last for a lifetime because they are about what makes us laugh and cry,” Billy said. He also praised Rob’s relationship with his wife, who was also killed.
“They were unstoppable,” Billy said of their romance. He also said that they were a “driving force in marriage equality in the United States.”
“Their loss is immeasurable.”
“It meant everything to him that his work meant something to you.”
He ended his speech with a message to Rob: “Buddy, what fun we had storming the castle.”
The stars of his films then came to the stage and held hands as they led the audience in a standing ovation.
Diane Keaton remembered
Rachel McAdams also came to the stage to speak about the actresses who passed away in the past year. “Mighty Wind” Katherine O’Hara and “the icon” Diane Keaton.
“She wore so many hats, literally and figuratively,” she said of Diane. Rachel then shared a few lines of a Girl Scouts song she would sing on set.
“She was a legend with no end.”
Robert Redford remembered
Barbra Streisand next came to the stage to say a few words about her The Way We Were co-star, Robert Redford. She admitted that Robert initially turned down the role because his character had “no backbone”, but relented after many rewrites.
“He was a brilliant, subtle actor,” she said of his co-star. “Bob had real backbone on and off the screen. He was thoughtful and bold, an intellectual cowboy who blazed his own trail.”
“I miss him now more than ever, even though he teased me,” she laughed, admitting that he called her “Babs”, which she hated.
However, in her last note to him before he died, she signed it “I love you too, Babs.”
Then she sang part of the song “The Way We Were”.
Bridesmaids reunion
The cast of Bridesmaids reunited to present the Best Original Score Oscar. Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne and Ellie Kemper read fake notes from nominees to uproarious laughter from the crowd.
“‘You ladies look extremely beautiful tonight. You’re all aging well. Signed Stellan Skarsgård,” read the note to Maya.
“Rose, can you please stop looking at me? The eye contact is too much. I’m thinking of leaving. I’m very uncomfortable. Sincerely, Leonardo DiCaprio,” was what Rose Byrne read out. To which she responded, “I have been staring at you, I thought you were somebody else.”
Melissa McCarthy then read out her note, which she said at first was “nearly illegible”.
“All the things that you’ve done to your faces are very tasteful, yours faithfully…Elle Fanning?!” before revealing it was another note from Stellan.
Benicio del Toro allegedly wrote the note to Kristen Wiig, “You guys have been talking for a long time. This bit could have been a lot shorter. This is really going on and on. You aren’t even talking about the score!”
Finally, Ellia Kemper read out a note from “the kid from Hamnet”: “I’m tired, and I want to come home.” Also, there wasn’t any pizza.
First woman to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography
Autumn Durald Arkapaw won the Oscar for Best Cinematography for her work on Sinners, becoming the first woman and first Black/Filipino American to win in this category. When she went to make her speech, her first words were to see her son Aidan, and the camera showed her husband carrying him to her seat.
She praised and thanked Ryan Coogler for believing in her and asked all the women in the room to stand up.
“I don’t get to be here without you guys; I really, really truly mean that. I have felt so much love from all the women. Moments like this happen because of you.”
Michael B Jordan wins Best Actor
Before he made a speech, he took a moment to take it all in. “God is good, and Mama, what’s up?” he said to his mother, his date for the night! Michael’s father travelled all the way from Ghana to support him tonight, and he thanked him and his entire family and the black actors who came before him.
“I stand here because of the people who came before me, Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith,” he said, naming some of the most famous Best Actor and Actress wins of Black American actors.
He also thanked the film community and promised to keep stepping up:
“Thank you for keeping betting on me. And I’m gonna keep stepping up. And I’m gonna keep being the best version of myself I can be.”
Jessie Buckley makes history
It’s official, Jessie Buckley has had a perfect awards season run! She is the first Irish woman to win the Best Actress Oscar. She has also won every other nomination for her performance in Hamnet, including a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, an IFTA, a Critics’ Choice Award, and the Actor Awards.
The film Hamnet focuses so much on a mother’s love, and as Jessie called it in her speech, “the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart”. Jessie recently became a mum herself, and in Ireland, the Oscars were happening on Mother’s Day.
“Wow. Thank you so much. This is really something!” she said with a laugh when she received her award from last year’s winner, Mickey Madison.
“Mum, Dad, thank you for teaching us to dream and to never be defined by expectation but to carve from your own passion,” she said to her parents, who were flown out by Irish airline provider Aer Lingus.
“You, Fred, I love you, man,” she said of her husband. “I love you. You’re the most incredible dad, you’re my best friend, and I want to have 20,000 more babies with you. I do! I do!”
“And Isla, my little girl, who is eight months, who has absolutely no idea what’s going on and is probably dreaming of milk, but this is kind of a big deal. And I love you, and I love being your mom, and I can’t wait to discover life beside you.”
She also thanked the “incredible women” in the room and in her category who “inspired her” and the filmmakers who “created this ship that I stand in and my shipmates.”
She ended her speech with a bit of Irish/Gaeilge: “Go raibh míle, míle maith agaibh” (a thousand thousand thank yous).
Moulin Rouge! reunion
Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman reunited to celebrate 25 years since the film Moulin Rouge! premiered and to announce the winner for Best Picture.
Before announcing the nominees, the pair leaned into the nostalgia of the musical, prompting a playful back-and-forth between them about what love is.
The moment turned into a mini musical tribute when they sang a few lines of “All You Need Is Love” together, referencing the film’s famous “Elephant Love Medley.”
