98th Academy Awards facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 98th Academy Awards
Official poster
Date	March 15, 2026
Site	Dolby Theatre Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Hosted by	Conan O'Brien
Preshow hosts	Tamron Hall Jesse Palmer
Produced by	Raj Kapoor Katy Mullan
Directed by	Hamish Hamilton
Highlights
Best Picture	One Battle After Another
Most awards	One Battle After Another (6)
Most nominations	Sinners (16)
TV in the United States
Network	Broadcast: ABC Streaming: Hulu
Duration	3 hours, 45 minutes
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The 98th Academy Awards ceremony, also known as the Oscars, happened on March 15, 2026. It was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, USA. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) gave out awards in 24 different categories. These awards celebrated the best movies released in 2025.

The show was shown on TV by ABC and streamed online on Hulu. The funny comedian Conan O'Brien hosted the event for the second time in a row. Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan were the main producers, and Hamish Hamilton directed the show.

Before the main event, the Academy also held its 16th Governors Awards on November 16, 2025. The Academy Scientific and Technical Awards were presented on April 28, 2026.

The movie One Battle After Another won the most awards, taking home six Oscars. This included the big award for Best Picture. It also won the very first Best Casting award.

Celebrating Movie Achievements

The list of nominees for the 98th Academy Awards was announced on January 22, 2026. Actress Danielle Brooks and actor Lewis Pullman shared the exciting news. This happened at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Record-Breaking Nominations

The movie Sinners received an amazing sixteen nominations. This is the most nominations ever for a single film in Oscar history! It beat the old record of fourteen nominations. Sinners also set a new record with ten Black individuals nominated for their work on one film. The studio behind the movie, Warner Bros. Pictures, earned thirty nominations in total. Many movie experts praised the Academy for recognizing Black films and the horror movie style.

Special Achievements by Individuals

• At 30 years old, Timothée Chalamet became the youngest actor to get three acting nominations since Marlon Brando. He was also the youngest to be nominated for both acting and producing in the same year.
• Wagner Moura made history as the first Brazilian actor nominated for Best Actor.
• Stellan Skarsgård was the first actor nominated for Best Supporting Actor for a movie not in English.
• Amy Madigan set a record for the longest time between Oscar nominations for an actress. Her nominations were 40 years apart!
• Ruth E. Carter became the most-nominated Black woman in any category. This was her fifth nomination for Best Costume Design.
• Autumn Durald Arkapaw was the fourth woman and the first woman of color nominated for Best Cinematography.
• Chloé Zhao became the second woman and first woman of color to be nominated for Best Director twice. She was also the first woman who previously won.
• Dede Gardner became the most-nominated female producer with nine nominations for Best Picture.

Award Winners

Paul Thomas Anderson, who won for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Michael B. Jordan, winner of Best Actor.

Jessie Buckley, winner of Best Actress.

Sean Penn, winner of Best Supporting Actor.

Amy Madigan, winner of Best Supporting Actress.

Ryan Coogler, winner of Best Original Screenplay.

Chris Appelhans, co-winner for Best Animated Feature.

Maggie Kang, co-winner for Best Animated Feature.

Joachim Trier, winner of Best International Feature Film.

David Borenstein, co-winner for Best Documentary Feature Film.

Pavel Talankin, co-winner for Best Documentary Feature Film.

Autumn Durald Arkapaw, winner of Best Cinematography and the first woman to win this award.

Ludwig Göransson, winner of Best Original Score.

Ejae, co-winner for Best Original Song.

The winners are listed first in boldface and marked with a double dagger (‡).

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Governors Awards

The Academy held its 16th annual Governors Awards ceremony on November 16, 2025. During this special event, several honorary awards were given out.

Academy Honorary Awards

• Debbie Allen: Honored as a amazing choreographer and actor. Her work has inspired many people across different types of entertainment.
• Tom Cruise: Recognized for his strong dedication to filmmaking, movie theaters, and stunt work.
• Wynn Thomas: Celebrated as a production designer who has created memorable film worlds with his artistic vision.

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

• Dolly Parton: A beloved performer who received this award for her tireless work in helping others through charity.

Movies with Multiple Nominations and Wins

Presenters and Performers

Many famous people helped present awards or performed songs during the ceremony.

Ceremony Highlights

Conan O'Brien hosted the 98th Academy Awards.

New Voting Rules

For the 98th Academy Awards, a new rule was put in place for voting. All Academy members had to watch every nominated movie in a category before they could vote for it. If they didn't watch all the films, they couldn't vote in that category.

Behind the Scenes

Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan were the main producers for the Oscars for the third year in a row. Comedian Conan O'Brien hosted the show for the second time. He was praised for his hosting last year. Conan O'Brien said that hosting the show is about being funny and also respecting the importance of the event. He mentioned that the show should be funny without getting into angry or political topics.

The production team made sure the show ran smoothly. Hamish Hamilton directed the telecast. There was also increased security for the event.

Special Moments and Tributes

There were many special moments during the show. Barbra Streisand performed a song to honor Robert Redford, who passed away in September 2025. Billy Crystal led a tribute to Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, who were remembered after their passing in December 2025. Actors from the 2011 movie Bridesmaids also reunited to present awards.

New Award Category: Best Casting

Starting with this ceremony, the Academy introduced a brand new award: the Academy Award for Best Casting. This award celebrates the important work of casting directors. Casting directors find the perfect actors for each role in a movie. This is the first new Oscar category added since the Best Animated Feature award in 2001.

Many casting directors were very happy about this new award. Cassandra Kulukundis, nominated for One Battle After Another, said it was important for people to understand what casting directors do. Francine Maisler, nominated for Sinners, added that casting directors help lift others up, and it meant a lot to be recognized.

Stage Design

The stage for the Oscars was completely redesigned with a theme of "humanity." The producers wanted everything to feel inspired by human creativity. The Dolby Theatre stage looked like a beautiful garden courtyard with handmade trees and greenery. The lighting made it feel like "golden hour," the warm glow just before sunset. The stage also had moving parts, like LED panels, to create new spaces. The design used glass, metal, and stone to blend organic and modern styles.

Remembering Those We Lost

The "In Memoriam" segment honored people from the film community who passed away. Special tributes were given to Rob Reiner, Diane Keaton, and Robert Redford. Many actors joined Billy Crystal for the tribute to Rob Reiner.

See also

In Spanish: 98.ª edición de los Premios Óscar para niños

• List of submissions to the 98th Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature
• List of submissions to the 98th Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature
• List of submissions to the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film