The film One Battle After Another dominated the Academy Awards, winning six trophies including Best Picture in one of the most competitive award seasons in recent years, defeating strong rival Sinners.
Director Paul Thomas Anderson personally won three Oscars—his first-ever Academy Awards—for the political thriller that explores issues such as immigration raids and white supremacy in the United States.
After receiving the Best Adapted Screenplay award, Anderson said he wrote the film for his children as a way of apologizing for the world his generation is leaving behind while encouraging hope that the next generation will bring wisdom and decency.
The film follows a former revolutionary struggling with addiction, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who faces off against the menacing Colonel Lockjaw, portrayed by Sean Penn, who won Best Supporting Actor. The film also secured awards for Best Editing and Best Casting.
Despite 11 previous nominations for films like There Will Be Blood and Boogie Nights, Anderson had never won an Oscar until this year.
Meanwhile, Ryan Coogler’s vampire-themed drama Sinners—which explores America’s complex racial history—entered the ceremony with a record 16 nominations and won four awards.
These included Best Original Screenplay for Coogler and Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, who played twin gangster brothers Smoke and Stack.
Jordan later told reporters backstage that he kept detailed journals to develop the backstories of both characters and highlight the subtle differences between them.
Other awards for Sinners included Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson and Best Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw, making her the first woman to win in that category.
In other major wins, Jessie Buckley took home Best Actress for her role as Agnes, William Shakespeare’s grieving wife, in Hamnet. She said winning the award on Mother’s Day in her home country of Ireland made the moment especially meaningful.
Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for her performance as a deranged witch in the horror film Weapons. The Norwegian family drama Sentimental Value won Best International Feature Film, while K-Pop Demon Hunters claimed Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Golden.”
Both One Battle After Another and Sinners were produced by Warner Bros., which dominated the night by winning 12 out of 24 awards at the ceremony.
