From historic wins like the first woman to win in cinematography and a tie for the seventh Oscar ever, to awkward silences and emotional tributes, The Oscars 2026 was truly an exciting and eventful event. If you missed watching the ceremony live, here are the highlights (the good and the bad) of the event.
‘The Devil Wears Prada’ comes to life
Anne Hathaway and Anna Wintour brought the essence of the film to life. The actress joined Anna Wintour, who inspired Meryl Streep’s “Devil” fashion editor, to present the award for best costume, make-up and hair. The duo performed a witty skit with references to the film.
The historic tie is almost ruined
For only the seventh time in history, Oscar voting ended in a tie. “The Singers” and “Two People Exchanging Saliva” both walked away with gold statuettes for the best live action short film category. But the moment was almost ruined when the production tried to interrupt the acceptance speech of the “Saliva” filmmakers, hitting on one of them, withdrawing the microphone and cutting off O’Brien. After groans from the audience and O’Brien trying to keep a straight face, the camera returned to the winners.
Miles Caton’s stunning performance as the lead in ‘Sinners’
‘Sinners’ star Miles Caton brought the juke joint to life with killer music and a line up of performers with ‘I Lied to You’. Featuring co-writer Raphael Saadiq, Shaboozey, Brittany Howard, ballet legend Misty Copeland and more, the performance was euphoric and electrifying.
Touching tributes
Hollywood lost legends like Rob Reiner, Robert Redford and Diane Keaton. This year, the telecast went beyond the usual montage and sad songs to bid farewell to these film icons. Billy Crystal and a stage full of students from Reiner’s beloved films saluted the actor, producer and director. Rachel McAdams was close to tears as she spoke of her respect and adoration for Keaton.
Much anticipated reunions
Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans haven’t fully dressed together in a Marvel superhero movie since ‘Avengers: Endgame’ in 2019, but they donned penguin costumes as presenters.‘Bridesmaids’ stars Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper and Maya Rudolph also took to the stage to present two awards for how well they’ve aged and nods to the jokes from the original film.
‘Golden’ but too late
When EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami sang “Golden,” the biggest hit from Netflix’s animated (and now Oscar-winning) “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” it was almost 10 p.m. ET, and they performed an abbreviated version of the song in matching metal outfits.
Shouts from Michael B. Jordan and Jessie Buckley to their moms
Best Actor winner Michael B. Jordan thanked God, his mother (and date) and his father, who moved from Ghana. Soon after, Jessie Buckley won best actress for “Hamnet” and dedicated her win to “the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.”See more: Full list of Oscars 2026 winners update: Michael B. Jordan wins best actor for “Sinners,” Jessie Buckley wins best actress for “Hamnet,” “One Battle After Another” wins best picture.
