The 2026 Academy Awards ceremony on March 16 celebrated cinematic achievement while prominent political statements and emotional tributes to deceased entertainment legends dominated the evening. “One Battle After Another,” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, won the night’s top prize for best picture along with five additional awards, while vampire horror film “Sinners” also achieved major success. The ceremony featured historic moments including the first K-pop song to win best original song, rare tie in the best live-action short category, and powerful political statements from international filmmakers calling for peace and social justice. Host Conan O’Brien delivered pointed humor addressing global events and industry controversies. Prior to the ceremony, hundreds of pounds of caviar, black truffle, sushi, and premium steaks were prepared for the traditional lavish Governors Ball, where newly minted Academy Award winners would celebrate while Wolfgang Puck, in his 32nd consecutive year overseeing the menu, served 25,000 small plates to assembled Hollywood elite.
Pre-Ceremony: Wolfgang Puck’s Lavish Governors Ball Menu
In preparation for the post-ceremony celebration, celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck orchestrated an unprecedented culinary operation for the traditional Governors Ball, where newly minted Academy Award winners would have their statuettes engraved while fellow A-listers feasted and celebrated. Puck, returning for his 32nd consecutive year managing the event’s menu, announced elaborate preparations featuring hundreds of pounds of premium ingredients.
“We make 25,000 small plates,” Puck stated to AFP at a Tuesday press preview event, where he demonstrated his signature cooking techniques. The Austrian-born restaurateur described the evening’s culinary offerings: “You can have Japanese food, you can have Austrian food, you can have always the best steak.”
The specific menu quantities reflected the scale of the celebration. Puck anticipated 1,200 traditional chicken pot pies requiring 50 pounds of black truffle, served alongside 70 pounds of caviar, 1,000 plates of macaroni and cheese, and more than 200 pounds of premium tomahawk steak. A new sushi station would feature five chefs preparing handrolls and nigiri throughout the evening.
Beverages included Piper-Heidsieck champagne, Dassai sake, wines from Domaine Clarence Dillon, and movie-themed Don Julio tequila cocktails. Mixologist Lorenzo Antinori, co-founder of Hong Kong’s world-renowned Bar Leone, created themed cocktails including “Best in Show,” “Golden Cut Margarita,” “Maestro Martini,” and “The Sequel,” made with gold vanilla edible paint.
Puck joked about Los Angeles’s diet-conscious culture, suggesting that weight-obsessed celebrities could have their Miyazaki beef “with Ozempic instead of spinach” if preferred. Desserts would be accompanied by thousands of golden chocolate statuettes, allowing attendees to take home edible Oscars.
“I think the reason why people love them so much is because it’s so hard to get a real Oscar, right?” said chef Garry Larduinat. “So having one made of chocolate, being able to take it home and be like ‘I was there,’ that’s very special.”
“One Battle After Another” Dominates Awards Night
Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” captured the evening’s top prize for best picture, securing six total awards and establishing itself as the night’s dominant film. The film’s success reflected what Anderson described as a creative response to contemporary global concerns.
In his acceptance speech, Anderson stated he created “One Battle After Another” for his children as an apology “for the housekeeping mess that we left in this world we’re handing off to them.” He added: “But also with the encouragement that they will be the generation that hopefully brings us some common sense and decency.”
Vampire horror film “Sinners” also achieved major success throughout the evening, winning multiple awards and generating significant audience engagement through its musical performance recreating scenes from the film.
Historic K-pop Achievement and Rare Tie
The evening witnessed historic cinematic moments as “KPop Demon Hunters,” a film featuring a fictional girl group HUNTR/X, won best original song for “Golden,” marking the first K-pop song to win in the category. The three singers from the fictional group performed the winning song during the ceremony, with the performance engaging audience enthusiasm.
The ceremony also produced a rare occurrence when two films tied for best live-action short film: “Two People Exchanging Saliva” and “The Singers.” Host Conan O’Brien acknowledged the statistical impact, joking: “You just ruined 22 million Oscar pools,” after waiting for both acceptance speeches to conclude.
Political Statements Dominate Acceptance Speeches
International filmmakers used their acceptance speeches to make prominent political statements, reflecting broader social concerns beyond cinematic achievement. Actor and past Oscar winner Javier Bardem, presenting the award for best international film, declared: “No to war and Free Palestine.”
Norwegian family dramedy “Sentimental Value” won the international film prize, with director Joachim Trier using his acceptance speech to paraphrase African American author James Baldwin. Trier stated: “All adults are responsible for all children. Let’s not vote for politicians who don’t take this seriously into account.”
Russian filmmaker Pavel Talankin, co-director and protagonist of “Mr Nobody Against Putin,” directly addressed global conflicts: “The world should stop all of these wars now.”
Musical Performances and Entertainment
The ceremony’s musical segments featured performances recreating scenes from nominated films. The opening musical number from “Sinners” traced the history of Black music from West Africa through the Delta Blues to hip-hop, led by actor Miles Caton alongside A-list performers including ballerina Misty Copeland, who danced despite recently undergoing hip replacement surgery.
Later performances included the fictional HUNTR/X girl group’s rendition of “Golden,” which subsequently won best original song, and various other musical tributes throughout the evening.
In Memoriam Tributes to Entertainment Legends
An extensive In Memoriam segment honored numerous entertainment industry figures who died during the preceding year. Billy Crystal delivered a heartfelt tribute to his late friend and collaborator Rob Reiner, who was murdered along with his wife at their Los Angeles home in late 2025. Crystal’s tribute included appearances by actors Reiner had famously worked with, including Meg Ryan.
The In Memoriam segment also honored numerous other Hollywood legends who died in the previous year, including Diane Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, and Robert Redford. Eighty-three-year-old Barbra Streisand sang for her friend Redford, delivering bars from “The Way We Were,” the iconic film they starred in together.
Streisand reflected on Redford’s character: “Bob had real backbone, on and off the screen. I called him an intellectual cowboy who blazed his own trail.”
Corporate Promotions and Network Advertising
The ABC network, owned by Disney, utilized the ceremony as a promotional platform for upcoming studio releases. Actor Sigourney Weaver and Pedro Pascal, stars of the 2026 “Star Wars” film “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” performed a segment featuring Grogu (Baby Yoda) positioned in the audience during an awards presentation.
Fashion editor Anna Wintour and Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway delivered a humorous sketch promoting the forthcoming “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” scheduled for spring release. Marvel Cinematic Universe stars Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. reunited onstage to promote “Avengers: Doomsday,” slated for later release in the year.
Host Conan O’Brien’s Pointed Humor
Host Conan O’Brien delivered humor addressing both global events and Hollywood industry controversies. Opening with a reference to Los Angeles’s recent wildfires, O’Brien joked: “It’s great to be back hosting the Oscars. Last year, when I hosted, Los Angeles was on fire. But this year, everything’s going great.”
O’Brien directed industry-specific humor at Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos: “It’s his first time in a theater.”
The host also referenced the Jeffrey Epstein scandal involving British figures, joking: “It’s the first time since 2012 that there are no British actors nominated for best actor or best actress. A British spokesperson said, ‘Yeah, well, at least we arrest our pedophiles.'”
O’Brien targeted actor Timothee Chalamet, who left empty-handed, with a roast addressing the actor’s recent disparaging comments about ballet and opera.
Conclusion:
The 2026 Oscars ceremony successfully balanced celebration of cinematic excellence with prominent political activism and emotional tributes to entertainment industry legends. “One Battle After Another” emerged as the evening’s dominant film, while historic achievements including the first K-pop song Oscar win and rare award ties provided memorable moments. Political statements from international filmmakers and industry figures underscored cinema’s role in addressing global concerns beyond entertainment. The lavish Governors Ball, featuring Wolfgang Puck’s unprecedented culinary offerings, provided a fitting celebration venue for newly minted award winners. Host Conan O’Brien’s pointed humor addressed contemporary controversies while maintaining the evening’s celebratory spirit. The ceremony demonstrated Hollywood’s capacity to honor artistic achievement while engaging substantive social and political discourse.
