Amy Madigan Secures First Oscar 2026 Award in Heated Supporting Actress Category
The 98th Academy Awards kicked off with a historic win as veteran actress Amy Madigan, aged 75, took home the first award of the night for Best Supporting Actress. Madigan earned the accolade for her compelling performance in the film Weapons, triumphing over a fiercely competitive field that included Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas from Sentimental Value, Wunmi Mosaku from Sinners, and Teyana Taylor from One Battle After Another.
Conan O'Brien Returns as Host with Hilarious Opening Segment
Just prior to Madigan's win, Conan O'Brien, 62, returned to host the Oscars for a second consecutive year, having taken over from Jimmy Kimmel. O'Brien opened the glitzy ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles with a pre-taped segment that humorously channeled Madigan's character from Weapons. In the skit, he was chased by children while making cameo appearances in several Oscar-nominated films, including Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, and Sinners. His monologue later joked about AI, Netflix's Ted Sarandos, and the year in film, setting a lively tone for the evening.
Record-Breaking Nominations and Key Contenders
The 2026 Oscars celebrated the best films of 2025, with Ryan Coogler's horror flick Sinners leading the pack with a record-breaking 16 nominations, the most in Academy Awards history. The film is among ten contenders for Best Picture, alongside Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, and Train Dreams.
In the Best Actor category, Michael B. Jordan of Sinners faces stiff competition from Timothee Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent). The race is currently a dead heat, with Chalamet having dominated early awards but Jordan gaining momentum after a win at the Actor Awards. Adding intrigue, Chalamet's recent controversial comments about ballet and opera sparked backlash from the arts community.
Irish star Jessie Buckley is the frontrunner for Best Actress for her role in Chloe Zhao's Hamnet, competing against Rose Byrne, Kate Hudson, Renate Reinsve, and Emma Stone. Hamnet reimagines William Shakespeare's home life, exploring how his son's death influenced Hamlet.
Notable Snubs and New Award Category
Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another earned 13 nominations, including Best Director, Best Actor for DiCaprio, and Supporting Actor nods for Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn. However, the ceremony saw significant snubs, with Ariana Grande omitted from Best Supporting Actress for Wicked: For Good, despite a nomination last year, and the film shut out entirely. Gwyneth Paltrow was also overlooked for her work in Marty Supreme.
A new award for Best Casting was introduced this year, with nominees including Nina Gold for Hamnet and Francine Maisler for Sinners. Other key categories featured tight races, such as Best Supporting Actor, where Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein) competes against del Toro, Penn, Delroy Lindo (Sinners), and Stellan Skarsgard (Sentimental Value).
Ceremony Details and Full Nominations
The Oscars 2026 ceremony aired live on ABC and streamed on Hulu, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV, and FuboTV, starting at 7pm ET/4pm PT. Below is a summary of key nominations:
- Best Picture: Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, Train Dreams
- Best Actress: Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), Emma Stone (Bugonia)
- Best Actor: Timothee Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)
- Best Director: Chloe Zhao (Hamnet), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme), Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another), Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value), Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
The evening highlighted both triumphs and surprises, with Amy Madigan's win setting the stage for a night of intense competition and celebration in Hollywood.
