'One Battle After Another' Wins Best Picture at 2026 Academy Awards

Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" won best picture at the 2026 Academy Awards, securing six Oscars in total.

The thriller-comedy, inspired by Thomas Pynchon's novel "Vineland," also earned awards including best director for Anderson and best supporting actor for Sean Penn, his first acting Oscar after years of nominations.

In his acceptance speech, Anderson said he wrote the film for his children to apologize for the mess or chaos left in the world and expressed hope that younger generations would restore "common sense and decency" to society.

Anderson, who wrote the screenplay and previously received nominations for films such as "Boogie Nights," "There Will Be Blood" and "The Master," marked a major milestone with his Oscar wins.

Other winners included Jessie Buckley and Michael B. Jordan, according to Amu TV, while Khaama Press reported Buckley won best actress for "Hamnet" and Jordan best actor for his role in "Sinners," which took four awards. Khaama Press also noted wins for films including Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" in technical categories, "KPop Demon Hunters" for best animated feature and "Mr Nobody Against Putin" for best documentary.

The Academy Awards, presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1929, recognize excellence in filmmaking through votes by its members.