This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.The Biggest Moments You Might Have Missed from the 2026 Oscars

Bianca BetancourtMon, March 16, 2026 at 3:30 AM UTC

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The Biggest Moments You Might Have Missed from the 2026 OscarsRobert Gauthier - Getty Images

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If there was one word to describe this year's Academy Awards it would simply be: unpredictable.

Even while some of the year's biggest films received their rightful due—like both Paul Thomas Anderson and Ryan Coogler receiving their first ever Academy Awards for their work on One Battle After Another and Sinners—there were a number of surprise wins that proved the evening could truly be anybody's game.

By the night's end, it was clear that this year's ceremony awarded bold and unapologetic filmmaking that celebrated specific corners of the cultural experience. Ahead, Harper's Bazaar breaks down the five biggest moments of the 98th annual Academy Awards.

Amy Madigan wins her first Oscar—40 years after her first-ever nomination in 1986.

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Horror received a major win at this year's ceremony with the first award of the night being handed to Amy Madigan for her flat-out-frightening role of Gladys Lilly in the blockbuster thriller, Weapons. During her acceptance speech, the 75-year-old actor acknowledged the magnitude of the moment finally taking home a golden statue so many decades into her career and a whopping forty years after her first-ever nomination. (Her first nominations was for her portrayal of Sunny Mackenzie Sobel in Twice in a Lifetime.) Madigan of course also thanked her husband, fellow actor Ed Norris, at the end of her speech saying, “The most important is my beloved Ed, who's been with me forever and that's a long ass time. And none of this would mean anything if he wasn't by my side.”

KPop has its major Hollywood breakthrough.

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There were few movies bigger than Netflix's runaway animated hit KPop Demon Hunters. The musical sensation won two awards tonight for Best Animated Feature and Best Song.

“This is for Korea and Koreans everywhere,” said the film's director Maggie Kang onstage. “I'm sorry it took so long for us to see ourselves in a film like this, but it's here now, and that means future generations no longer have to yearn for it.”

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The lead writer of “Golden” EJAE took in the magnitude of the moment onstage after winning Best Song, saying,“Growing up, people made fun of me for like K-pop, but now everyone is singing our song and all the Korean lyrics. I'm so proud. I realize the song, this award is not about success. It's about resilience.”

Cassandra Kulukundis wins the first-ever Academy Award for Best Casting for One Battle After Another.

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The Hollywood casting director became the first ever winner of the Best Casting category at this year's Academy Awards for her work curating the core cast of Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another. While the film featured a number of acting legends like Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro and more it also served as a major breakout moment for Teyana Taylor (who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress tonight) and newcomer Chase Infiniti. The 25-year-old budding star was on stage to present the award to Kulukundis for her history-making moment.

Barbra Streisand made a surprise appearance and even broke into song.

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Hollywood legend Barbra Streisand appeared during the evening's In Memoriam segment to honor her friend and former costar Robert Redford who passed in 2025. After sharing a few words about Redford—and his tendency to affectionately call her Babs over the years—the star stunned the crowd with a stripped down, mini performance of “The Way We Were” to honor the late icon.

Sorry Timothée...but the Oscar goes to Michael B. Jordan.

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Mirroring his win at the recent Actor Awards, Michael B. Jordan pulled off one of the most surprising moments of the night by winning Best Actor for his dual work as twins Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler's Sinners. In one of the most moving moments of the evening, Jordan honored the Black Hollywood legends that came before him, like Sidney Poitier and Halle Berry to Jamie Fox and Will Smith.

One Battle After Another wins big.

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It was clear by the start of tonight's ceremony that One Battle After Another was going to earn a clear sweep. Along with Paul Thomas Anderson taking home his first ever Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director and by the end of the night Best Picture, Sean Penn also won for Best Supporting Actor, Cassandra Kulukundis for the first ever award for Best Casting, and Best Editing.

“I wrote this movie for my kids to say sorry for the housekeeping mess that we left in this world — we’re handing off to them,” said Anderson while accepting one of his many awards this evening. “But also with the encouragement that they will be the generation that hopefully brings us some common sense and decency.”

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