Politics on red carpet as 'One Battle After Another' dominates 98th Oscars

Hollywood’s biggest night turned into one of its most openly political in recent memory as One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson’s sweeping saga of political resistance, won best picture at the 98th Academy Awards.

The film — a comic yet pointed multi-generational tale about activism and dissent in America — arrived at the ceremony as the frontrunner and ultimately claimed six Oscars, including best director and best adapted screenplay for Anderson, best supporting actor for Sean Penn and the Academy’s first-ever award for best casting.

Accepting the screenplay honour, Anderson framed the film explicitly as a political message to the next generation. “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,” he said. “But also with the encouragement that they will be the generation that hopefully brings us some common sense and decency.”

The ceremony at the Dolby Theatre unfolded against a backdrop of global conflicts, most notably the war in West Asia, and domestic political tensions in the United States, themes that repeatedly surfaced throughout the night.

The awards were presented by a host of stars including Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who drew cheers from the audience as she took the stage with Spanish actor Javier Bardem to present the award for best international feature film.

Anderson’s triumph also marked a long-awaited moment for one of America’s most celebrated filmmakers. A San Fernando Valley native who made his first short film at 18, he had never previously won an Oscar despite decades of critical acclaim.

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, a Jim Crow-era blues vampire film steeped in racial history and social commentary, also secured major victories after entering the ceremony with a record 16 nominations.

Michael B. Jordan won best actor for his performance in the film, drawing one of the loudest standing ovations of the evening. “Yo, momma, what’s up?” Jordan said as he reached the stage.

The film’s cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history as the first woman — and the first Black cinematographer — to win the Oscar for best cinematography. “I really want all the women in the room to stand up,” she said. “Because I don’t feel like I get here without you guys.”

Warner Bros, the studio behind both One Battle After Another and Sinners, finished the night with 11 wins in total — tying a record for the most awards won by a single studio in one year.

The victories came at a moment of uncertainty for the company, which recently agreed to a USD 111 billion sale to Paramount Skydance. The deal has left Hollywood bracing for further consolidation and layoffs across the industry.

Yet both One Battle After Another and Sinners represented something increasingly rare in contemporary Hollywood: large-scale original films driven by strong personal visions rather than established franchises.

Elsewhere, Jessie Buckley won best actress for her portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet, becoming the first Irish performer to win the category. “It’s Mother’s Day in the UK,” Buckley said during her speech. “I would like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.”

Political commentary surfaced repeatedly throughout the ceremony. Host Conan O’Brien opened the show by acknowledging the “chaotic and frightening times” facing the world, arguing that global crises made the Oscars’ celebration of artistic collaboration even more meaningful.

“We pay tribute tonight not just to film, but to the ideals of global artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience and that rarest of qualities today — optimism,” he said.

Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier struck a similar note while accepting best international film for Sentimental Value, quoting author James Baldwin. “All adults are responsible for all children,” Trier said. “Let’s not vote for politicians that don’t take this seriously.”

The night also saw pointed remarks from presenter Jimmy Kimmel. “There are some countries that don’t support free speech,” he said. “I’m not at liberty to say which. Let’s just leave it at North Korea and CBS.”

The ceremony’s most overt political moment came when Mr. Nobody Against Putin, a documentary about a Russian teacher who secretly records the indoctrination of schoolchildren during Russia’s war in Ukraine, won best documentary.

“Mr. Nobody Against Putin is about how you lose your country,” one of the film’s directors said. “And what we saw when working with this footage is that you lose it through countless, small, little acts of complicity.”

Activism extended beyond the stage. Several artists used the red carpet to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and for Palestinian liberation, wearing red Artists4Ceasefire pins or patches reading No a la Guerra.

Bardem echoed the message while presenting best international feature film alongside Priyanka. “No to war and free Palestine,” he said.

Advocacy groups also used the evening to amplify their causes. Immigration rights campaigners promoted 'BE GOOD' and 'ICE OUT' pins, while media reform organisation Free Press drove a mobile billboard around the venue protesting Paramount Skydance’s proposed takeover of Warner Bros Discovery.

Meanwhile, the ceremony retained its traditional moments of celebration. Netflix’s global hit KPop Demon Hunters won best animated feature as well as best original song for Golden, while Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein collected three craft awards for costume design, makeup and hairstyling, and production design.

Amy Madigan won best supporting actress for her role in the horror thriller Weapons, four decades after her first Oscar nomination for Twice in a Lifetime. “This is great!” the 75-year-old actor exclaimed, laughing as she reached the stage.

By the end of the evening, however, it was clear that the 98th Academy Awards would be remembered as much for its political messages as for its cinematic triumphs — a night when Hollywood’s biggest stage became a forum for artists grappling with war, power and the future of democracy.

With agency inputs