Michael B. Jordan and Jessie Buckley win best actor and actress at emotional Oscars ceremony

The 2026 Oscars marked a huge night for Michael B. Jordan and Jessie Buckley, who triumphed in the most coveted categories, best actor and best actress.

Hosted for the second time by Conan O’Brien, the 98th Academy Awards saw Hollywood’s biggest names descend on the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for a celebration of another epic 12 months of cinema.

Ahead of the night, Ryan Coogler’s horror/action blockbuster Sinners led the way with a record-breaking 16 nominations, while acting titans including Leonardo DiCaprio, Emma Stone, Ethan Hawke, and Kate Hudson had hopes of winning big.

Jordan’s portrayal of the dual role of twin brothers Smoke and Stack in Sinners ultimately secured him a leading gong, as did Buckley’s performance as Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet.

Meanwhile, it was Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another that emerged the most decorated, taking home six of its 13 noms. This included best picture and Anderson’s first-ever Oscar win after 14 nominations.

Taking to the stage for his acceptance speech, Jordan, 39, was visibly stunned, taking to the mic and declaring: ‘God is good.

‘I stand here because of the people that came before me,’ he continued, name-checking Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, and Will Smith.

‘To be amongst those giants, amongst those greats, amongst my ancestors, amongst my guys. Thank you, everybody in this room and everybody at home for supporting me over my career. I feel it.

‘I know you guys want me to do well, and I want to do that because you guys bet on me. So thank you for keep betting on me, and I’m gonna keep stepping up, and I’m gonna keep being the best version of myself I could be.’

His gratitude undeniable, he concluded: ‘Thank you for everybody in this room that has something to do with my success.

‘I love you guys and everybody at home who supported Sinners, who went to go see the movie, once, twice, three, four or five times, thank you, because you guys made this movie what it is. I love you. I love you. I love you.’

Jordan faced competition from DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Hawke (Blue Moon), Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent), but proved the bookies right as he collected the golden statue, having been the favourite with odds of over 50%.

And when it came to best actress, Buckley’s winning moment was equally emotional as she hugged her husband, Freddie Sorensen, and her ecstatic co-star Paul Mescal.

Through tears, the Irish actress, 36, dedicated the award to the ‘beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart’.

‘This is really something,’ she began in disbelief. ‘Thank you to the incredible women that I stand beside. I am inspired by your art and your heart, and I want to work with every single one of you.

‘Mum, Dad, thank you for teaching us to dream and to never be defined by expectation but to carve from your own passion.’

She went on to note that it is Mother’s Day in the UK: ‘We all come from a lineage of women who continue to create against all odds.’

‘Thank you for recognising me in this role,’ Buckley finished off. ‘This is the greatest honour. I can’t even believe it.’

Other main categories saw the cast and crew of action-thriller One Battle After Another collect best picture, during which Anderson, who also bagged best director, said proudly: ‘What a night. Let’s have a martini. This is pretty amazing!’

The filmmaker also used the night to honour his friend ‘on the other side of the shadows’, Adam Somner, who was Anderson’s long-time collaborator and died in 2024 before the film was released.

Anderson said: ‘He’s at the bar having a gin and tonic, and he’s so happy for me.’

Looking at the award, he added: ‘There will always be some doubt that you deserve it, but there is no doubt in the pleasure at having it for myself.’

Other notable wins of the night came from the supporting actor and actress categories, which went to Sean Penn and Amy Madigan, respectively.

For Penn, it was his third Oscar thanks to his portrayal of corrupt military officer Col. Steven J. Lockjaw in One Battle After Another, and for Madigan, following a successful awards season run, she added another accolade to her collection for playing the villainous Aunt Gladys in horror flick Weapons.

While Penn, 65, stayed true to tradition by opting not to attend, Field of Dreams star Madigan, 75, told the audience how ‘overwhelmed’ she felt upon winning.

Referring to her husband of more than 40 years, she said: ‘The most important is my beloved Ed, who’s been with me forever, and that’s a long-ass time, and none of this would mean anything if he wasn’t by my side.

‘Thank you, I’m very overwhelmed.’

Further winners included Netflix hit Kpop Demon Hunters, which took two prizes, for best original song for Golden, plus best animated feature film, whole

And, interestingly, in the best live-action short film category, there was a tie for the seventh time in Oscars history, meaning it was won by both Two People Exchanging Saliva and The Singers.

After the winners left the stage, host O’Brien congratulated them and quipped: ‘You just ruined 22 million Oscar pools.’

The first tie came in 1932, while the last was in 2012, when Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty both took home best sound editing.

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