The 98th Academy Awards just wrapped on Sunday, March 15, 2026, and host Conan O’Brien had his hands full with a night that felt more like a plot twist than a ceremony. Ryan Coogler’s horror masterpiece Sinners walked into the Dolby Theatre with 16 nominations, which is a massive historical record for a single film.
For anyone in Hollywood, an Oscar is the ultimate career glow-up because it basically dictates your future paycheck and creative freedom. This specific night hit different because the usual data and predictions were tossed out the window for something much more chaotic. When a movie like Marty Supreme enters with massive hype (9 nominations) and leaves with nothing, it sends a clear message that the Academy is switching up the vibe.
The prestige of a win goes way beyond the trophy because it validates years of hard work and provides a platform for breakthroughs that actually change the industry. Seeing the voters obsess over a horror flick while completely ignoring a massive musical sequel like Wicked: For Good shows that internal patterns are becoming totally unpredictable. This volatility is exactly why the snubs and surprises are currently breaking the internet.
The friction between critical darlings and box-office giants creates a specific type of drama that only the Oscars can deliver. We are officially in an era where having a 96% win probability does not mean you should start clearing space on your shelf.
The major shutouts and empty-handed exits
The biggest shocker of the entire night was the total shutout of Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme. It entered the room as a heavy favorite for Best Picture and Best Actor, but left with absolutely zero wins.
This ceremony night snub was a major sting for Timothée Chalamet, who lost the Best Actor race to Michael B. Jordan. This loss completed a trilogy of high-profile defeats for Chalamet this season, following his misses at the Actor Awards and the BAFTA ceremony.
Popular opinion is, even with nods for directing and original screenplay, the film just could not find a way to overcome the Sinners’ momentum. Netflix also had a rough night, as Train Dreams failed to turn any of its nominations into wins.
The film was a constant fixture in the Best Picture conversation but ultimately joined the list of the night’s most notable losers. Yorgos Lanthimos and his project Bugonia suffered a similar fate, which really hammered home the idea that the Academy was playing favorites.
This consolidation meant that several projects once considered locks for a win left the building with nothing. The lack of trophies for these titles has sparked a massive debate about how the Academy handles crowded fields and prestige titles that lose their heat.
The televised “In Memoriam” segment also sparked some strong reactions after omitting names like James Van Der Beek, Brigitte Bardot, Eric Dane, and Robert Carradine. While the Academy later listed them on its official website, the on-air exclusion felt like a major snub.
Viewers noticed the segment gave extended time to legends like Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner, Diane Keaton and Robert Redford while relegating others to a digital list. This has become a recurring pattern of backlash for the Academy regarding how they use their limited broadcast time.
Skipping these actors during the live montage continues to frustrate an audience that expects more respect for industry vets. It is a sensitive point for fans who look to the telecast for a final collective moment of respect.
Historic wins and the shocks we did not see coming
On the flip side, Sinners cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw made absolute history. She became the first woman and first Black woman ever to win the Oscar for Cinematography.
It was a landmark moment for the show, especially when she asked every woman in the room to stand during her speech. Sinners ended the night with four wins out of their record 16 nominations.
Those wins included Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan and Best Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler. This performance proved the film was a total juggernaut, even if it did not sweep every single category.
One of the most chaotic moments happened when Kumail Nanjiani announced a rare tie for Best Live Action Short Film. The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva ended up sharing the Oscar.
It was so unexpected that Nanjiani had to tell the crowd he was not joking. Ties are basically unicorns in Oscar history, so this dual win immediately became the top trending topic on social media.
The night also provided some major redemption for stars like Kate Hudson and Delroy Lindo. Hudson grabbed her second career nomination for Song Sung Blue while Lindo secured his first-ever nod for Sinners although no wins recorded.
Their inclusion, along with Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon, showed that the voters were willing to look past the usual names this year. Plus, the fact that F1 crashed the Best Picture party was a plot twist very few saw coming.
These wins and nods provided a nice balance to the high-profile snubs that dominated the early parts of the 2026 race. It kept the energy in the room high despite the many heavyweights who were left out.
What the fans are saying
The internet had plenty to say about the Best Actor results, and most of it was a huge celebration for Michael B. Jordan. There is a strong online sentiment that he was the rightful winner for his role in Sinners.
Some fans are even suggesting that a shift in public perception for Timothée Chalamet might have played a role in the lack of sympathy for his loss. People are specifically pointing to some past comments he made about the opera and ballet.
That specific commentary did not sit well with the public and has been giving him a lot of bad press for weeks, which if you ask me might be a reason why the win felt earned for Jordan. It proves that how a star carries themselves can definitely bleed into their awards journey.
The fact that Wicked: For Good was totally shut out is still a massive sore spot for musical theater fans like me. Everyone expected Ariana Grande to be a lock for a nomination, so her absence was a total shock.
The first movie grabbed 10 nominations, so the fact that the sequel got zero has people questioning the voting logic. Grande was widely predicted to be a frontrunner, and being shut out has kept the 2026 ceremony feeling incomplete.
Fans are also still mourning the Paul Mescal snub for Hamnet, proving that the digital crowd is very protective of their favorites. As we start looking ahead to the 99th Oscars, the industry will be studying these patterns.
The success of Sinners and the massive win for Autumn Durald Arkapaw suggest the old rules of what counts as an Oscar movie are being rewritten. This ceremony proved that records are made to be broken.
The fallout from these 2026 snubs will definitely change how studios plan their campaigns for next year. For now, we are left with a night where the unexpected became the new normal and a horror film took center stage.