While yesterday's news was dominated by the municipal elections in France, the 98th Academy Awards ceremony took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Hosted by Conan O'Brien, it honored films slated for release in 2025 during an evening dominated by independent films and marked by several historic awards. The season's frontrunner, One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, emerged as the big winner of the evening, winning six statuettes, including those for best film and best director.
The film also won awards in several major categories, notably for its adapted screenplay and editing, confirming the critical acclaim it has enjoyed since its release. In the acting categories, the evening celebrated Michael B. Jordan, awarded the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in SinnersRyan Coogler's film also distinguished itself with several important awards, including Best Original Screenplay. It was also recognized for its cinematography, by Autumn Durald Arkapaw, and for its original score composed by Ludwig Göransson.
Among the actresses, Jessie Buckley won the Oscar for Best Actress for her leading role in Hamnet, an adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel about William Shakespeare's family. The supporting actor awards went to Sean Penn for One Battle After Another and to Amy Madigan for Weapons, two performances praised by critics.
Frankenstein, F1 and Avatar awarded
Several films distinguished themselves in the technical categories. Frankenstein won Oscars for set design, costume design, and makeup, while the automotive blockbuster F1 was awarded for best sound. As for visual effects, it Avatar: Fire and Ash, directed by James Cameron, which made its mark.
The ceremony also honored several international and animated works. The Norwegian film Sentimental Value was awarded best international film, while the animated feature film KPop Demon Hunters won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for "Golden". In the documentary category, Mr. Nobody Against Putin was awarded best feature-length documentary.
A historic award
Beyond the awards, the evening will be remembered for a historic distinction: thanks to his work on Sinners, Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman and the first black person to win the Oscar for best cinematography.
