The Oscars are officially over. After months of campaigning from producers, actors and filmmakers, the 98th Annual Academy Awards took place on March 15. Whether you respect award shows and their politics or not, it’s hard to deny the attention and cultural impact they leave on the film industry.
Before The Oscars began, the most debated categories were Best Picture and Best Leading Actor. The Best Picture Award can often be a toss up with 10 different films being nominated, making it the largest pool for possible winners. The Best Lead Actor race was the most competitive it has been in recent years, with several of the nominated actors winning different precursor awards, making it difficult to predict the winner. As always, the event had unique and memorable moments.
Every year, a film takes the crown for most awards and this year “One Battle After Another” won six Academy Awards, most notably for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Sinners came in second, with four wins, and a record-breaking 16 nominations.
Both of these films break the mold of a stereotypical Oscar winner, blending multiple genres, and bringing attention to social issues.
The Oscars also contained several milestones for winners. For the first time in Oscars history, a woman won the award for Best Cinematography. Sinners cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw was the first woman, and woman of color, to win the award. While I’m disappointed that it took 98 years for this milestone to be broken, it’s inspiring to see the Academy finally recognize the talent of women in an industry that has been dominated by men.
Another milestone was the new category that was introduced. Best Achievement in Casting was a first time category that recognized the work of casting directors and the ensembles they create for films. Cassandra Kulukundis won the award for her work with One Battle After Another. Kulukundis has worked with director Paul Thomas Anderson on 10 films and both received their first Oscars this year. In 2028 there will also be a new addition at the 100th annual Academy Awards with Best Achievement in Stunt Design.
Beyond the historic wins, the night was also a success when it came to the entertainment. Conan O’Brien hosted the Oscars for the second time this year and did not disappoint. His cold open was fantastic. Dressed as the character Aunt Gladys from Weapons, and with creative editing, he ran through the scenes of several Best Picture nominees while being chased by a group of children. After the prerecorded video, he ran into the crowd and on stage to deliver his opening monologue.
Throughout the night he kept the audience entertained with sketches and jokes. While some of them didn’t land for me, I thought O’Brien did a good job overall and I always appreciate how he commits to the bit.
An interesting aspect of this year’s Oscars was the tie that occurred. This is the seventh Oscars tie and it took place in the Live Action Short Film category between the films The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva. Ties are very rare, since they require thousands of votes to be spread exactly down the middle, with the most notable tie occurring in 1969 between Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand when both won the award for Best Actress.
One of my favorite aspects of The Oscars are what films it introduces to me and the audience as a whole. An Oscar nomination alone can boost the attention and visibility of smaller or more independent films. I have since watched several feature-length and short films that were nominated and have added many more to my watchlist such as “The Secret Agent” and “It Was Just An Accident”.
Along with widening the audience of a film, The Oscars can also allow filmmakers to spread awareness about ongoing social issues. This year, one of the moments that stood out to me the most was after the win for Best Documentary Short Film. The award went to All the Empty Rooms, a documentary about the untouched bedrooms of four school shooting victims and their families. The mother of one of these children accompanied the filmmakers on stage and delivered a heartbreaking message about gun violence and the stories behind these tragedies.
Although this year’s Oscars had some significant moments it’s important to touch on the lowlights of the event, and you can’t talk about the Oscars without bringing up the snubs. This year I believe the most snubbed film was Bugonia, my favorite film of 2025, and the ninth feature film from director Yorgos Lanthimos. The film is an adaptation of a South Korean sci-fi film called Save the Green Planet. Bugonia is a dark, comedic, sci-fi that touches on conspiracy theories and corporate greed. The score, performances and cinematography were fantastic, and while it earned four nominations it didn’t win a single award.
The politics and campaigning of award shows often cause lower budget films, foreign films and genre films to not get the credit they deserve. Similarly, the Academy often awards veteran actors and filmmakers “career awards” for films that may not be their best work. This causes up-and-coming nominees to be underappreciated and lessens the reliability of the Oscars.
Overall, the show ran very smoothly, with several skits, music performances and montages playing throughout. The skits and musical components of the show were a nice break from the routine and the montages of the Best Picture nominees were a great way to honor the films.
Despite its flaws, and the opinions of critics, The Oscars continue to make a mark on the industry, by showcasing the hard work and creativity of filmmakers. While some may say that the film industry is dying, I would disagree. There are tons of great films being released every year, whether it’s a blockbuster, documentary or independent film, so take the time to explore and support the artists behind the scenes.