On Sunday, Penn won the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s political drama “One Battle After Another.” He delivered a commanding portrayal of a seasoned power broker navigating the shifting loyalties and ideological battles at the center of the film.

Penn, 65, did not attend the Oscars.

“He couldn’t be here tonight, or he didn’t want to,” Kieran Culkin said after announcing Penn as the winner.

It's not the first time Penn has been an Oscars no-show. He's previously skipped the show three times when he was nominated for “Dead Man Walking” in 1996, “Sweet and Lowdown” in 2000 and “I Am Sam” in 2002.

In 2022, Penn gave one of the Oscar statuettes to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Penn bowed out from attending the BAFTAs and Actor Awards this year.

In the movie, Penn plays a calculating strategist named Col. Steven J. Lockjaw whose decades of experience in political movements give him both influence and scars. His character carries the weight of past victories and failures, offering sharp insights while quietly pulling strings behind the scenes. The performance blends Penn’s trademark intensity with moments of restraint, delivering a standout performance among the film’s talented ensemble.

The win marks Penn’s third Academy Award.

The actor did attend when he previously won two Academy Awards for best actor for Clint Eastwood’s 2003 crime drama “Mystic River” and for portraying San Francisco politician and LGBTQ rights pioneer Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant’s 2008 biopic “Milk.”

Penn first gained attention in the 1980s, with films including “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” but quickly established himself as one of Hollywood’s most fearless dramatic actors. Over the decades he has delivered acclaimed performances in films such as “Dead Man Walking,” “Carlito’s Way,” “The Thin Red Line,” and “I Am Sam.”

His performance in “One Battle After Another” adds another acclaimed role to a career defined by intense and transformative performances.

Other nominees included cast member Delroy Lindo, Benicio Del Toro, Jacob Elordi and Stellan Skarsgård.

Crystal opened the segment that was longer than usual because of the number of Hollywood heavyweights who died over the last year.

Crystal first met Reiner in 1975 when he guested on “All in the Family.”

“And it went so well, Rob said, ‘It was so much fun playing your best friend, why don’t we keep it going?’" Crystal said. "And it was a thrill seeing him evolve from a great comic actor to a master storyteller.”

Crystal recounted such Reiner films as “The Princess Bride, ”When Harry Met Sally, “A Few Good Men,” “Say Anything,” and “This is Spinal Tap.” The segment ended with over a dozen stars from those films — including Meg Ryan, Kiefer Sutherland, Fred Savage, Demi Moore, John Cusack and Ione Skye — standing together on stage.

Reiner, an actor-director, and his wife, photographer Michele Singer Reiner, both in their 70s, were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home in last December. Their son, Nick Reiner, has been charged in the deaths of his parents and has pleaded not guilty.

At 83, Streisand has largely retired from touring and live performances due to her well-known stage fright.

For Redford's memory, she made an exception.

“He was a brilliant, subtle actor,” she said. “We had a wonderful time playing off each other because we never knew what the other was going to do or say.”

Streisand described Redford as “thoughtful and bold,” saying, "I called him an intellectual cowboy who blazed his own trail.”

She highlighted his history of defending press freedom, protecting the environment and encouraging new voices in film through his founding of the Sundance Institute in Utah.

“Bob had real backbone on and off the screen,” she said.

Redford died in September at age 89. He won a best director Oscar for “Ordinary People.” He and Streisand made one movie together, “The Way We Were,” in 1973.

“I miss him now more than ever, even though he loved teasing me,” she said. “He called me Babs. I’d say, ‘Bob, do I look like a Babs?’”

They were chatting on the phone and as they prepared to hang up, Redford told her, “Babs, I love you dearly, and I always will,” she said.

Streisand said, “The last note I ever wrote to Bob, I ended it with I love you, too. I signed it, Babs.”

The Oscar orchestra swelled as a photo of Redford filled the giant screen.

Standing behind a podium, with her own conductor in the aisle, Streisand picked up a mic and sang, “So it's the laughter we will remember whenever we remember the way we were.” She received a standing ovation.

Lyricist Alan Bergman, who co-wrote “The Way We Were” theme and died last year, was shown in the segment.

Among others included were Robert Duvall and Catherine O'Hara.

Rachel McAdams paid tribute to women who died, singling out Diane Keaton.

“Believe me when I say there is an actress of my generation who was not inspired by and enthralled with her absolute singularity,” she said.

McAdams recited a Girl Scout song and poem Keaton used to say on film sets:

"Make new friends, but keep the old.

One is silver, the other is gold.

A circle is round, it has no end.

That’s how long, I will be your friend."

Madigan embodied the role of Gladys, giving a phenomenally creepy portrayal of the great-aunt of a young boy whose classmates go missing overnight. She won the Critics’ Choice Award and Actor Award in the same category.

The 75-year-old let out a deep cackle as she went on stage to accept the award.

“We’re kind of advised, ’Don’t say all these names, as nobody knows who the hell these people are,’” she said. “But you’re not rattling them off. They mean something to you; that you couldn’t be here without them."

The last time she was nominated for an Oscar was for her role in 1985 family drama “Twice in a Lifetime,” setting a record for the longest gap between nominations for an actress.

“Everybody’s asking me … ‘Well it’s been 40 years, what’s different about this time?’” Madigan said. “What’s different is this little gold guy.”

Her character is so integral to one of the movie’s biggest twists that she was kept out of the press tour and early marketing for the film so as to not give away any spoilers.

“Gladys has surprised me, she’s getting a lot of love back,” Madigan said in her acceptance speech at the Annual Actor Awards. “I didn’t know y’all wanted to hang out with her.”

Her character is “kind of inspiring in a strange way,” despite being the movie's villain, she said after her Oscar win.

If given the opportunity, she would love to reprise the role in an Aunt Gladys prequel, she said.

Some of Madigan’s most notable roles in her long career were in “Field of Dreams” and “Uncle Buck” in 1989. She has also acted in Broadway and off-Broadway productions.

“Opportunities (as an older actress) are less and you just hope that something finds you so you can find it,” she said in an interview with The New York Times. “And I don’t take it for granted, because you can go up and then you can go all the way down, as we know.”

Madigan thanked director and writer Zach Cregger for writing a “dream part” for her. While horror movies have traditionally been snubbed for awards, being treated like the “little kids table at Thanksgiving,” Madigan said she was heartened by the recognition for genre films like “Weapons” and “Sinners” this year.

She also gave a shoutout to the other nominees Teyana Taylor in “One Battle After Another,” Wunmi Mosaku in “Sinners,” and Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas in “Sentimental Value.” The category did not have a clear favorite ahead of this year’s ceremony, with a crowded field of nominees splitting the biggest awards of the season.

Netflix's big blockbuster follows HUNTR/X, a Korean girl group that battles otherworldly demons, a rival boy band and their lead singer's own shame. Its choppy animation style, which combines 2D anime aesthetics with 3D CGI stylizations, underscores the high-octane action. The soundtrack, led by the Grammy-winning hit “Golden,” landed eight songs on the Billboard Hot 100. Alongside all the demon-slaying and choreography is a creative tale of self-acceptance that blends Korean mythology and K-pop idol culture.

In her acceptance speech, director Maggie Kang apologized to “those of you who look like me” that it took so long for them to be represented on the screen.

“This is for Korea and Koreans everywhere,” she said.

The win further demonstrates the global influence of South Korean pop culture. The film's fantastical world, where the only force standing between evil spirits and humanity is one snack-loving vocal trio, inspired many children’s Halloween costumes in the United States. The HUNTR/X singers — Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami — gained hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, performed at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and appeared alongside Bad Bunny on the “Saturday Night Live” season premiere.

Arden Cho, who provided the speaking voice for Rumi, was named one of The Associated Press' Breakthrough Entertainers of 2025.

The film's victory came as little surprise to those following awards season. The other nominees — “Arco,” “Elio,” “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” and “Zootopia 2" — had racked up few prizes at the shows leading up to the Oscars. “KPop Demon Hunters” won big at many of the precursors, including the Producers Guild Awards and the Golden Globes.

The recognition continues voters' celebration of original animated stories that don't adapt existing intellectual property. Recent winners include Hayao Miyazaki's “The Boy and the Heron” and the Latvian film “Flow.”

Kang has said she wanted to fully immerse viewers in its Korean setting rather than explain certain elements for Western audiences. By “throwing people into the deep end of a culture,” she previously told the AP, it is easier to break down barriers. “If you don’t shine a light on it, it just becomes more easily accepted,” she said.

“I am Conan O’Brien and I am honored to be the last human host of the Academy Awards,” O’Brien said after taking the stage for the ABC telecast at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday night. “Next year it’s going to be a Waymo in a tux.”

O'Brien, who also hosted the event last year, warned the audience that security would be high.

“I hear there are concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities,” the host said, getting a big laugh as the camera cut to a giggling Chalamet. The best actor nominee's disparaging comments on the art forms' relevance during the Oscars run-up became fodder for cultural discourse.

O'Brien also took aim at Netflix chief Ted Sarandos, who is annually a major figure in Hollywood but this year got special attention. His company nearly bought Warner Bros., the studio behind the night's biggest nominees, before backing out.

“It’s his first time in a theater!” O'Brien said, then took on a mock Sarandos voice. “What are they all doing enjoying themselves?!” he shouted. “They should be home where I can monetize it!”

In another operatic moment, singer Josh Groban, in knightly garb, serenaded O’Brien in a fantasy sequence where the host imagined winning an Oscar for his outstanding monologue.

“He did this himself, and he’s grateful to none,” Groban sang to music from “Zadok the Priest,” a 1727 coronation anthem by George Frideric Handel.

The ceremony's prerecorded opening nod to Amy Madigan's character in “Weapons” was maybe to be expected given how often O'Brien mocks his own hair and pallor, but still had surprising moments.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit much?” O'Brien could be heard saying to a stylist before the reveal.

The segment had O'Brien sporting Madigan’s caked-on Aunt Gladys makeup and bright red wig from the film. It also showed him being chased by angry kids as she was in the role from the prestige horror film that won her best supporting actress a few minutes later.

Gladys-Conan was then folded into clips from other major nominees. He was animated into “KPop Demon Hunters,” played table tennis against Chalamet in “Marty Supreme” and sprinted across the Shakespearean stage in “Hamnet.”

After getting raves in his 2025 hosting debut, O'Brien — the 62-year-old onetime writer for “Saturday Night Live” and “The Simpsons,” former longtime talk show host, and professional podcaster — was rehired almost immediately.

He may have given the Academy Awards some stability in the hosting spot after much uncertainty about the often-thankless role, including the three-year stretch from 2019-2021 with no host. ABC convinced Jimmy Kimmel, the face of the network, to host four times, something that's unlikely to happen again with the Oscars moving to YouTube in 2029.

“Some people are worried this is going to change how the Oscars are viewed,” O'Brien said Sunday, “but I’ve been assured …” he was then cut off by a wildly intrusive, YouTube-style ad featuring actor Jane Lynch pitching a tactical flashlight.

The bit got a big laugh from the room, as did most of his monologue.

Oscar producers have shown what appears to be a genuine affection for O'Brien, who is easily the favorite to return as host, and has suggested his willingness to keep the job indefinitely.

That succession was addressed when the live show ended. A filmed scene borrowed the ending of “One Battle After Another,” which won best picture and five other Oscars (spoilers ahead). O'Brien's friend and former “SNL” cowriter Mike Downey reprised his role from “One Battle,” with O'Brien in the place of best supporting actor winner Sean Penn.

“We’ve decided to make you Oscars host for life,” Downey tells O'Brien in the halls of an office complex.

“I don’t know what to say. I’d like that very much,” a moved O'Brien replies. He's then shown being gassed a la Penn and carted, dead, from the premises.

His name plaque is replaced by one that reads “Mr. Beast.”

“Sinners” followed with four awards, including best actor for leading man Michael B. Jordan.

Jessie Buckley took home best actress for "Hamnet."

Comedian Conan O’Brien returned for a second year to host the ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

The Latest at the Academy Awards:

Anderson talks the racial politics of ‘One Battle After Another’

After his big wins of the night, Paul Thomas Anderson came to the press room to speak with reporters about his wins for best picture, director and adapted screenplay. He answered three questions — the maximum the Academy had been allowing for winners consistently throughout the night — but the last question zeroed in on criticism of “One Battle After Another.” Some of the film’s detractors have found fault with the portrayal of the Black women characters, particularly Teyana Taylor’s Perfidia. Anderson said the character is “flawed,” and that he and the filmmakers wanted to capture the nuance of her life. “It’s complicated,” he said. “We always knew that we were trying to make something complicated.” The point of Perfidia’s arc is to set up the story of her daughter, Willa, played by Chase Infiniti. “What happens when your parents, who are damaged, and handed quite a difficult history to you, how do you manage that? That’s our story,” he said.

First Oscar, first tooth

Best actress winner Jessie Buckley elaborated on her thoughts on the “crazy alchemy” of winning the award on the U.K. and Ireland version of Mother’s Day when speaking to reporters in the press room. She plays a grieving mother in the historical fiction drama “Hamnet.”

In addition to being Oscars Sunday, the day also marked Buckley’s first Mother’s Day as a mom, and Buckley said her daughter, who is eight months old, got her first tooth this week. It’s a big milestone, but perhaps not quite as big as her mom snagging her first Oscar.

Jessie Buckley on being first Irish winner of best actress

“It feels like some kind of crazy alchemy that all these things are colliding,” she said of the historic win backstage, plus the collision with Mother’s Day in the U.K. and Ireland.

Michael B. Jordan gets standing ovation from reporters, expresses gratitude

When best actor winner Michael B. Jordan came backstage, he had to wait about a full minute for many in the crowd of reporters to stop cheering and sit down before he could answer any questions.

The “Sinners” star who played twin brothers in the genre-bending vampire epic said his win feels “timely.”

“I’m here because of the people who came before me,” he said.

“I’ve been extremely blessed in my life,” he continued. “There’s a lot of people who’ve seen me grow up in this industry, grow up in this town, and they looked out for me — and they didn’t have to.”

Ryan Coogler praises teachers

Backstage, Ryan Coogler was greeted with cheers and many a raised placard for questions by members of the press. He credited an English professor when he was 17 who read an assignment and suggested he go to Hollywood and write screenplays.

The scene from the Governors Ball

At the Governors Ball the happiest area was the Warner Bros. “One Battle After Another” tables where Leonardo DiCaprio, sipping red wine, and Benicio Del Toro, with champagne and not a few small beers, held court with studio executives, including producer Pam Abdy.

Elsewhere, Renate Reinsve ditched her shoes and walked barefoot through the party, which was carpeted. Mandy Patinkin sat alone sampling sushi and trying to make a phone call as the music blared. Kirsten Dunst stayed close to Alicia Silverstone, and Kerry Condon sampled the prime rib.

Ryan Coogler used to run plays. Now he wins Oscars for screenplays

The best original screenplay Oscar winner for “Sinners” was once a star wide receiver at Sacramento State, where he had 112 catches over his college career.

Coogler was also a two-time All-Academic selection in the Big Sky Conference.

He joins a rather exclusive club of sports figures who won Oscars, one that includes NBA greats Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Durant and Mike Conley Jr.

Why Joachim Trier quoted James Baldwin

Joachim Trier said he cited James Baldwin — “All adults are responsible for all children” — because of revelations about crimes being done to children and the conflicts being waged in the world.

“Me and most people around me have been at times crying a lot,” Trier, a father, said, citing Palestinian, Ukrainian and Sudanese children suffering, in addition to other conflicts.

He said people need to “cross the aisle” to be more collaborative in protecting children.

Serena on MBJ: ‘So happy’

Serena Williams put a clip of Michael B. Jordan’s best actor speech onto social media and needed two words to sum up her feelings.

“So happy,” the tennis legend wrote in reaction to the “Sinners” star getting the Oscar.

Best original song winners had many more thanks to give backstage

The winners for “Golden” in “KPop Demon Hunters” thanked additional colleagues and family members after they were cut off during their acceptance speech.

Singer songwriter EJAE said she wanted to shoutout her fellow performers Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna, who voiced the singing parts along her in the film.

The cast also delivered thanks to their fans watching in Korea.

“I was very nervous but it was such an honor to be performing, it’s such an incredible stage,” EJAE said. “It was not on my bucket list because I did not think it was possible.”

The Korean American said it was an “incredible experience” to honor their ancestors by beginning their performance with Korean traditional music.

After the show, it’s time to eat and drink

First stop for Oscar winners and invited guests after the show ends is the Governors Ball. They’ll ride escalators up to the Ray Dolby Ballroom atop the shopping and entertainment complex where the ceremony is held.

The show typically runs three hours or more, creating a powerful need for immediate food and drink after sitting that long.

Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck is in his 32nd year catering the party. He’s supported by 75 savory chefs and 45 pastry chefs.

Winners can sip on signature cocktails like “The Sequel” with tequila and “After Glow” without booze while waiting for their names to be engraved on their golden statues.

This isn’t a sit-down dinner. It’s the first chance for Oscar-goers to let their hair down on the night’s party circuit, gossip about the show over the din of a live band and move on to the next bash. Over 300 servers swarm the crowd with food on trays and small plates. More elaborate grazing stations feature cheese and charcuterie, wood-fired pizzas, Japanese izakaya, and hand-carved wagyu and steak frites.

A slider bar serves ribeye burgers, Thai sausage dogs, pastrami and fried cod to go with tempura onion rings. A handroll and sushi bar includes spicy ahi tuna, sea bream and salmon. Need to soothe your incurable sweet tooth? Hit the tables featuring patisserie, madeleine and tiramisu, chocolate decadence, and gelato.

Vegans will feel at home since the party has offered over 50% plant-based and vegetarian dishes since 2013.

Everyone leaves feeling like a winner after picking up one of the 2,000 mini chocolate Oscars airbrushed with 24-karat edible gold dust.

Conan keeps things (pretty much) on schedule

The runtime of the show clocked in at 3 hours and 40 minutes, which is pretty typical for the show and somewhat modest considering 24 awards were handed out Sunday evening. The longest ceremony lasted over four hours in 2002.

A bizarre, pre-taped epilogue to the Oscars showed O’Brien being named the Oscars’ “Host for Life” after his performance tonight.

That’s before he’s locked into an office where a green gas fills the room. An unconscious O’Brien is carried out to show his name plaque replaced by... Mr. Beast?

‘One Battle After Another’ wins best picture

The film was the big winner at this year’s Oscars, leading the way with six wins.

It becomes the 42nd film in Oscars history with at least six statuettes.

“Sinners” won four this year and “Frankenstein” won three.

Jessie Buckley, ‘Hamnet,' wins best actress

Four people in Jessie Buckley’s Irish family stood up and waved toward the stage from the mezzanine, far out of sight of the stage.

“My family, my Irish family, they’re all here, Ireland bought them flights,” Buckley said. “Mom, dad, thank you for teaching me to dream and to never be defined by expectation but to carve your own passion.”

“We all come from a lineage of women who continue to create against all odds. Thank you for recognizing me in this role,” she said.

Historic Oscar winner shouts out ‘little girls who look like me’

Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the first woman and Black person to win the cinematography award told reporters in the press room that she was worried about using her time wisely for her acceptance speech. “Are they going to kick me off?” she recalled wondering. Still, she managed to give a grounded, moving speech, and one she hopes will inspire future filmmakers.

“A lot of little girls who look like me will sleep really well tonight because they’ll want to become cinematographers,” she said. “I know that.”

She decided to ask all the women in the Dolby Theatre to stand up during her speech because “moments like this don’t happen without women kind of standing up for you and advocating for you,” she said.

The win “isn’t about me anymore,” she continued. “It’s about so much more and I wanted it for all of the ladies in the room, and I wanted it for all the girls at home.”

Michael B. Jordan, ‘Sinners,’ wins best actor

The loudest and rowdiest applause of the evening likely came from inside the press room when Michael B. Jordan was announced as the winner of the best actor prize. Reporters in the room burst into raucous cheers before presenter Adrien Brody could even finish reading out the “Sinners” star’s name.

Michael B. Jordan’s dad stood up and pumped his fist toward the stage. The actor said his father flew in from Ghana for the Oscars.

He was one of the many, many people who gave the “Sinners” star a rousing, standing ovation for his first Oscar win.

“I stand here because of the people that came before me,” he said, adding thanks for the support he’s received throughout his life.

“I feel it, I know you guys want to me to do well, and I want to do that because you guys bet on me.”

Paul Thomas Anderson, ‘One Battle After Another,’ wins best director

Anderson dedicated his win to Adam Somner.

“He’s in a really big bar up in the sky right now,” Anderson said of his late collaborator. “He’s having a gin and tonic, and he is so happy.”

Anderson said of the trophy for best director: “There will always be some doubt in your heart that you deserve it. But there is no question the pleasure of having it for myself.”

‘Golden’ from ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ wins best original song

The vocalists behind the song, EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, performed it live for the Oscars audience earlier in the night.

As the group of winners accepted the award, the music started up. EJAE, who spoke first, put her hand up and said, “Please stop.” The music kept going as her fellow winners tried to speak and then the lights dimmed as they cut to commercial.

Inside, two people continued to try to speak, the audience seemed a little upset and the mic was completely cut off. The play-off music was loud and definitive.

‘Sentimental Value’ wins best international feature for Norway

“This film is about a very dysfunctional family and it’s the opposite of what I felt with this beautiful group behind me,” the filmmaker behind the feature, Joachim Trier, said.

He also quoted James Baldwin: “All adults are responsible for all children,” adding that people should not vote for politicians who don’t take this into account.

Why France submitted ‘It Was Just an Accident’ and Tunisia did ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ for best international feature

Per Academy rules, a country may only submit one film for consideration in the international feature film category.

In Iran, a government-backed committee controlled film submissions, and was unlikely to consider dissident films like “It Was Just an Accident” by filmmaker Jafar Panahi.

So France submitted the film instead. Panahi lives in France for part of the year, the cofinancing company was French, some of the producers were French, the editing was done in Paris and the film played in France.

“The Voice of Hind Rajab,” about the story of a 6-year-old killed in Gaza, is Tunisia’s entry. The director Kaouther Ben Hania is Tunisian, and Palestine submitted a different film.

Mics are on

Audience members waved golden light sticks in the air, a common sight at Korean pop concerts, as “Kpop Demon Hunters” singers EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami took the stage to sing “Golden.”

Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ‘Sinners,’ wins best cinematography

Arkapaw becomes the first woman and Black person to win the award.

“I really want all the women in this room to stand up, because I feel like I don’t get here without you guys.”

The crowd began applauding as the women in the audience got on their feet.

Andy Jurgensen, ‘One Battle After Another,' wins best film editing

“I would like to dedicate this to my aunt, Barbara Hall, who was film archivist for the Academy for over 25 years, showing me old movies and teaching me about film history,” Jurgensen said.

‘F1’ gets best sound win

The prize recognized the work of Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo and Juan Peralta in the movie.

Ludwig Göransson, ‘Sinners,' wins best score

Blues changed the life of Göransson’s family.

“My dad bought his first blues album in Sweden, 1964,” Göransson said.

“Even though it was on the other side of the world from a place my dad had never been, and a place he could not relate to, the music was so powerful it changed my dad’s life.”

‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin’ wins best documentary feature

“'Mr Nobody Against Putin' is about how you lose your country. And what we saw when working with this footage is that you lose it through countless small, little acts of complicity,” filmmaker David Borenstein said.

“We all face a moral choice, but luckily, even a nobody is more powerful than you think,” he said.

‘All the Empty Rooms’ wins best documentary short

In this short directed by Joshua Seftel and produced by Conall Jones, journalist Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp document the empty bedrooms of children killed in school shootings over the course of seven years.

Gloria Cazares, whose child was killed in the Uvalde school shooting, accepted the award.

“My daughter, Jackie, was nine years old when she was killed in Uvalde. Since that day, her bedroom has been frozen in time,” she said.

Jimmy Kimmel is back (again)

Jimmy Kimmel’s return to the Oscars stage (“Wait, am I not hosting?”) and ABC telecast where he served as host four times still can’t possibly be as dramatic as the year he just had.

ABC and parent company Disney yanked his late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air in September for remarks he made following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kimmel’s indefinite suspension was celebrated by President Donald Trump. But it wouldn’t even be a week before he returned to the air with much stronger ratings than before.

His jokes at Trump’s expense prompted the president to post that ABC needed to “get the bum off the air.”

But Kimmel instead got a contract extension in December.

'Avatar: Fire and Ash' gets win for best visual effects

The award recognizes the work of Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett.

‘Frankenstein,' picks up another win

Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau won best production design for the film.

‘An intellectual cowboy who blazed his own trail’

Barbra Streisand’s tribute to Robert Redford highlighted the late actor-director’s history of defending press freedoms, protecting the environment and encouraging new voices in film.

“Bob had real backbone on and off the screen,” she said.

Babs, as Redford used to call her, sang “The Way We Were” at the end of her tribute.

“I miss him now more than ever, even though he loved teasing me,” she said, explaining how she got the nickname.

Rachel McAdams paid tribute to women — and Diane Keaton, in particular

“Believe me when I say there is an actress of my generation who was not inspired by and enthralled with her absolute singularity,” she said.

McAdams told the audience a Girl Scout song Keaton used to sing set on film sets:

"Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, the other is gold. A circle is round, it has no end. That’s how long, I will be your friend."

Reiner’s actors join Billy Crystal onstage in tribute

Billy Crystal opened the in memoriam segment honoring his best friend, Rob Reiner.

He ticked off a list of Reiner’s films, including “When Harry Met Sally,” starring Crystal and Meg Ryan, “Stand By Me,” “Say Anything” and “This is Spinal Tap,” among many others.

A photo of Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, appeared behind Crystal.

The Reiners were found dead in their Los Angeles home in December. Their son, Nick Reiner, has been charged in the deaths of his parents and has pleaded not guilty.

Having a slew of actors with longstanding ties to Reiner — Meg Ryan, Kiefer Sutherland, Fred Savage, Demi Moore, John Cusack, Ione Skye and many others — come on stage for the tribute was reminiscent of how the Academy did the same for director John Hughes at the Oscars 16 years ago.

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This item has been updated to correct the spelling of Michele Singer Reiner's first name. It is spelled Michele, not Michelle.

Ryan Coogler, ‘Sinners,' wins best original screenplay

For his first original film, not adapted from any source material, Coogler won the original screenplay Oscar — his very first. He’s also up for more awards tonight.

Before accepting his award for original screenplay, Coogler embraced his wife, Zinzi Coogler, who is a producer and worked with him on “Sinners.” He then went down the line with his cast, hugging Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo and, lastly, his frequent collaborator and friend, Michael B. Jordan.

During his speech, he asked the “Sinners” cast and crew to stand up. “You’re all winners in my book,” he said.

Paul Thomas Anderson, ‘One Battle After Another,' wins best adapted screenplay

In adapting Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel about a subculture of aging rebels, “Vineland,” Anderson reworked everything from the timeline to the characters’ names to more details than can be listed in brief.

But he does capture the humor, the cynicism and the sweep of Pynchon, the sense of a ragged community of outsiders caught up by forces far beyond even its own paranoid assumptions.

“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,” Anderson said.

Sean Penn, best supporting actor winner, has skipped the Oscars, again

He won as supporting actor for “One Battle After Another.”

“Sean Penn couldn’t be here this evening,” presenter Kieran Culkin said. “Or didn’t want to, so I’ll be accepting the award on his behalf.”

Penn did little campaigning this awards season, and also stayed away from the Actor Awards and BAFTA Awards, where he won trophies.

It’s not the first time Penn has no-showed at the Oscars.

The 65-year-old actor has never appeared too attached to Hollywood hardware, whether he wins or loses. He previously gave one of his Oscars to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

An Oscars tie is rare, but not a first

The live action short category resulted in a tie (“Two People Exchanging Saliva” and “The Singers” each got statuettes) this year. But this is not the first time this has happened at the Oscars.

The most recent tie came during the 2013 Oscars honoring films from 2012, when “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Skyfall” tied for the sound editing category. There have been five other ties in Oscars history, making Sunday’s tie the seventh.

The first tie, which was at the 5th Academy Awards almost 100 years ago, was based on an old rule. Wallace Beery (“The Champ”) and Fredric March (“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”) tied for best actor. They came within exactly one vote of each other, and in accordance with Academy rules at the time, they shared the recognition. That rule has since changed and only an exact match in totals would qualify as a tie today, according to the Academy.

2 live action shorts tie for the win in that category

“Thank you to the Academy for supporting a movie that is weird, that is queer, and made by a majority of women!” said Natalie Musteata of “Two People Exchanging Saliva.”

Director Sam A. Davis of “Singers” called his short a “simple story about the power of music and art to bring us together in a moment when we live in an increasingly isolated world.”

Cassandra Kulukundis, ‘One Battle After Another,' win inaugural Oscar for best casting

Kulukundis thanked the academy for making this award happen: “I dedicate this to you and to the casting directors who never got a chance to get up here, who didn’t even get a chance to get their name on the movie.”

Kulukundis has served as the casting director on past Oscar favorites including “The Brutalist” and “There Will Be Blood.”

She has worked on all 10 of “One Battle After Another” director Paul Thomas Anderson’s feature films, beginning as an intern on his debut film “Hard Eight” in 1996.

Conan teases the smartphone generation

Host Conan O’Brien aimed his comedic barbs towards screenagers and the generally phone-obsessed in a short pre-taped segment about a (surely fictional) film lab that reimagines classic films to be optimal for smart phone viewing.

So-called “advanced” technology isolates the most visually interesting part of the shot for the vertical-only version, but that is often not the most interesting or dynamic part of the shot. An example was the infamous orgasm scene from the late Rob Reiner’s “When Harry Met Sally,” where the vertical-only shot does not show an animated Meg Ryan, but rather a woman in the background who is taking a sip from a glass.

‘Frankenstein’ gets wins for best costume design and best hair and makeup

Only five awards into the night, “Frankenstein” is a two-time winner already after taking home the Oscar for costume design, as well as hair and makeup.

“While we’re making this film, we had the sense we’re part of something very special, and tonight confirms that,” makeup artist Mike Hill said. Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey were the other artists on the award-winning team.

“On behalf of myself and the amazing team that I work with, the artisans, the alchemists, dream weavers, we’re so grateful to the Academy for recognizing our craft,” said Kate Hawley, the film’s costume designer.

‘Sinners’ starts off strong – and on stage

Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq are performing “I Lied to You,” the nominated original song from “Sinners.” They’re joined by a bevy of performers onstage — Misty Copeland, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, Brittany Howard, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, Bobby Rush, Shaboozey and Alice Smith among them — for a near-recreation of the scene in “Sinners” where the song is introduced.

It is one of the more memorable moments in the film, where a blues song in a Mississippi juke joint opens up to showcase hip-hop DJs, rock ‘n’ roll guitarists, ballerinas and more, illustrating the Black music genre’s place at the foundation of American popular culture.

When the live tribute performance to “Sinners” wrapped on stage, there was a slew of applause, some of which came from people who stood for the ovation.

The highest praise may have come from Michael B. Jordan himself, who nodded and smiled.

The message was clear: The star approved, big time.

The Girl Who Cried Pearls’ wins best animated short

The Canadian film is about a poor boy who falls in love with a girl who cries those gemstones, and he decides to pawn them for money. Directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, the boy ends up making a choice between pearls and love. It takes place in Montreal.

“To Canada,” Lavis and Szczerbowski said while accepting their award.

‘KPop Demon Hunters’ wins best animated feature

Three years ago, Arden Cho was ready to walk away from acting. She’d landed her first lead role in the Netflix series “Partner Track,” only to see it canceled after one season. She was heartbroken.

Her agent wouldn’t let her go. “She refused to say, ‘You’re done.’ She just kept sending me things,” Cho said. “She just keep being like, ‘Look, I know you’re not auditioning. I know you’re done, but I think you’d like this.’”

Now, Cho is juggling multiple projects after voicing the lead character Rumi in Netflix’s animated summertime sensation “KPop Demon Hunters,” which has become the all-time most-streamed movie on the platform — and spawned inescapable earworms “Golden” and “Soda Pop” as its soundtrack dominated pop charts.

And now it’s an Oscar winner.

“This is for Korea and Koreans everywhere,” said “KPop Demon Hunters” co-director Maggie Kang.

Amy Madigan wins best supporting actress

Madigan, following a deep cackle, said she thought of her speech in the shower the day before.

“We’re kind of advised, ’Don’t say all these names, as nobody knows who the hell these people are,’” she said. “But you’re not rattling them off. They mean something to you; that you couldn’t be here without them.”

AP Film Writers Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr both picked Teyana Taylor (“One Battle After Another”) to win best supporting actress. So did 40% of readers on apnews.com, with Amy Madigan (“Weapons”) their second pick.

Madigan won — and Taylor seemed to be the first to leap from her seat in celebration when she was announced.

Conan’s off and running with the jokes

Conan O’Brien is off and running at the Oscars.

“I’m Conan O’Brien and I’m honored to be the last human host of the Academy Awards,” O’Brien said. “Yes! Yeah! Next year it’s going to be a Waymo in a tux.”

And the jokes kept coming.

“Last year when I hosted Los Angeles was on fire,” O’Brien said. “But this year, everything’s going great.”

He also quipped that there’s an alternate Oscars being hosted by Kid Rock, a nod to the hubbub over Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show.

And we’re off, with help from the Beastie Boys and Aunt Conan

Conan O’Brien’s opening skit: He complains about wearing too much makeup as Aunt Gladys from “Weapons,” says he looks like “Bette Davis with lupus” and it’s all done to the soundtrack of “Sabotage” from the Beastie Boys, all as he runs through various scenes of this year’s nominated films.

“I can’t believe I learned Norwegian for this,” he says, via subtitles, at one point. He then got chased onto the stage by a horde of children.

The irreverent tone for the opening is now set.

In front of a packed arena, Jack Wallace scored a hat trick to help the U.S. beat Canada 6-2 in Sunday’s Para ice hockey final and become the first nation to win all three of the hockey tournaments at the Olympics and Paralympics in the same year. There is currently no women’s division at the Paralympics as it is classified as an open-gender sport.

Kayden Beasley, Declan Farmer — the tournament’s MVP — and Brody Roybal scored the other goals for the U.S. Liam Hickey bagged both goals for Canada, which pushed its rivals hard before conceding three in the final period.

“I’m glad we got it done because I think there’s a little bit more pressure with the men and women getting the golds too,” U.S. captain Josh Pauls said. “But I’m happy we could do it for USA hockey and I think it really just shows like how much they … invest in the grassroots programs because we have so many young players coming up and playing pivotal roles on our teams.”

One of those he’s seen progress at close hand is Wallace.

“It doesn’t get much better than that,” Wallace said with a broad smile when asked about his hat trick.

The 27-year-old Wallace, who grew up loving hockey, had his right leg amputated above the knee after a water-skiing accident at age 10 and thought his dreams of playing the sport at the highest level were over before discovering Para ice hockey.

“I think watching Jack Wallace go from the player he was when he first started, from a kid who just wanted to be back on the ice after losing his leg and now to watch him score a hat trick, it’s just so awesome to be a part of people’s lives and to watch them succeed and put in the work,” Pauls said.

“I was on the ice for the first time when he was on his sled and so to watch those guys blossom is just the ultimate honor and to be their teammate is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Pauls said.

While the Olympics saw the U.S. men’s team win gold for the first time since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980, it’s a very different story at the Paralympics.

It was a fifth straight title for the U.S. and Pauls — Wallace now has three and several of his teammates have four.

“I mean it’s kind of crazy, I can’t believe it,” Pauls said with a laugh. “I mean I don’t think you ever start out wanting to win five consecutive and to be the most decorated player in the sport and so I think this team is just so special.”

The U.S. has won six of the past seven editions of the Winter Paralympics. It was a third straight loss in the final for Canada, which won its only para ice hockey gold on Italian ice, in Turin in 2006.

Earlier, China claimed a second successive bronze medal as it fought back from conceding two goals in the opening three minutes to beat Czech Republic 3-2.

Sunday’s final set a new record attendance for the sport at a major tournament as 10,795 fans filled the near-capacity stands.

The mark had been set in the opening match of the tournament with the preliminary round game between the U.S. and host nation Italy drawing 8,992 spectators.

“I don’t think I could have imagined this,” Pauls said. "I mean it’s just so cool. I know this building was packed for the men’s and women’s Olympic finals and to be packed for us, I think, shows the parity of sled hockey compared to stand up ice hockey.

“And I think we had some really passionate fans. I didn’t realize so much of Italy was Canadian! And there was definitely some chants, but I’m glad we could kind of silence them a little bit ... it was such a great atmosphere to play in.”

Reinsve radiated on the carpet in a bright red Louis Vuitton strapless dress with a high side slit and curved train. She paired the look with a red lip and her hair slicked back. For her first Academy Award ceremony, Infiniti opted for a pale lavender mermaid-style ruffle dress also by Louis Vuitton that she wore with a shimmering jeweled choker. The Hollywood darling has delivered strikingly stylish looks across award show season for her role in “One Battle After Another.”

For cinema’s biggest night, some stars marked their moment with designs that evoked old Hollywood glamour.

Rose Byrne arrived in a timeless custom black Dior gown embroidered with colorful beaded flowers. Actor Wunmi Mosaku of “Sinners” showcased classic elegance in a off-the-shoulder teal sequined Louis Vuitton dress while also showing off her baby bump.

Inspired by Grace Kelly's 1956 Oscar's dress, Jessie Buckley wore a color-blocked Chanel dress with a light pink skirt and lipstick-red shawl over her shoulders.

“This was a much more colorful carpet than past events throughout the awards season,” Halie LeSavage, Marie Claire’s senior fashion news editor, said. ”It feels like the nominees and the presenters are loosening up and really getting into a celebratory mood for the last big show of the season.”

In keeping with their colorful animated film, the cast of “KPop Demon Hunters” delivered a splash of eye-catching colors to the red carpet in their regal gowns. Arden Cho chose Korean designer Miss Sohee with a structured black lace mermaid gown and an opulent vibrant green silk stole designed with an intricate nature scene. Co-star Ji-young Yoo posed in a two-toned blue Carolina Herrera ball gown with a romantic sweetheart-shaped neckline.

Cloud Dancers

Balanced among all the colorful attire, the Pantone color of the year, Cloud Dancer, once again had its moment. Actors in off-white gowns glistened in front of the cream backdrop of the carpet. Emma Stone sparkled in her simple yet captivating opalescent paillette dress with its low back and scoop neckline.

Elle Fanning added a romantic touch to the carpet in her white Givenchy by Sarah Burton dramatic ball gown adorned with wisteria flowers. Fanning accented her scene-stealing dress with a Cartier wisteria-shaped necklace from 1903.

Like Fanning, ELLE’s Beauty Director, Kathleen Hou said the red carpet stars sported polished and slicked back updos to draw the attention to their gowns.

Gwyneth Paltrow kept it minimalist and sexy with her Giorgio Armani Privé ivory silk strapless gown that revealed one long cut out down the sides of her dress.

Red carpet risk-taker Timothée Chalamet stayed on trend in an off-white Givenchy by Sarah Burton suit with matching white shirt, tie and shoes. He accessorized his looks with rings and sunglasses. Chalamet famously wore a butter yellow suit by the same designer last year.

“For his whole Oscars campaign, Timothée has really used fashion to tell a story, to promote his role in ‘Marty Supreme’,” Hine said. “All white suggests he’s at the end of the tour.”

Stars take flight with feathers

Gowns on the carpet featured luxurious fabrics, textures and even feathers. Demi Moore emerged on the carpet in a whimsical, fully feathered, green-toned Gucci dress. Moore, who was not nominated for an Oscar, certainly stole the spotlight from her peers with her dramatic gown.

Actor Pedro Pascal integrated feathers in a more subtle way with a large, feathered brooch fastened to his custom Chanel look by Matthieu Blazy.

The latest designer to helm the French house has been the talk of the town with fashionistas lining up at Chanel stores to buy his collection.

Fashion trailblazer Teyana Taylor wore a fitted feathered white and black sheer dress on the carpet by Blazy.

“Teyana’s dress is also my front-runner for best dressed of the night because it took a lot of those Chanel codes that fashion fans really love and made them feel so fresh and so Teyana,” LeSavage said. “They’re a house that doesn’t do a lot of bodycon or sheer. It tapped into a whole bunch of different elements that felt very glamorous and very Oscars but also aligned with all of the risks that Teyana has been taking throughout her awards season run this year.”

In another take on feathers by Blazy, Nicole Kidman wore an off-white feathered gown with a corseted peplum bodice that was dipped into a cream color at the hem.

Men follow suit with tailoring

While the women flaunted vivid colors on the carpet, the men subverted traditional codes of black-tie attire with their suiting. Oscar night performer Shaboozey rarely disappoints on the carpet with his modern takes on black tie attire. The red-carpet style maven sported a Balenciaga tailcoat look with a vest and a pearl pocket chain and matching pearl earrings.

“Sinners” star Michael B Jordan brought out a golden pocket chain that accentuated his Louis Vuitton suit. His costar Miles Caton was one of the few male actors to add color to the carpet. Caton walked the carpet in an all-plum colored look from AMIRI with a matching plum jacket, tie and trousers.

“What we have been seeing in recent years is men embracing designer fashion spins on the traditional tuxedo, especially younger actors,” Samuel Hine, GQ’s global fashion correspondent said. “Their participation in the fashion world is an important part of the promotion of their personal brands.”

“Sinners” director Ryan Coogler and actor Jacob Elordi were some of the few Oscar attendees that donned the traditional black tie look of a bow tie.

Fashion made political

Oscar attendees sometimes make more than fashion statements. Actors chose to make political statements on the carpet by calling for a ceasefire in Gaza with their ‘Artists4Ceasefire’ pins. The organization issued new pins with a design by Shepard Fairey that now feature a dove and a lotus flower wrapped with a barbed wire. Actor Charithra Chandran added the pin on the carpet to her lush, bright-green ball gown.

Saja Kilani of “The Voice of Hind Rajab” wore the pin with her chic black dress on the carpet.

“Our struggles are all connected, so is our liberation,” she told The Associated Press.

After the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Javier Bardem said he wore a pin to protest the war. On Sunday he re-wore the pin, which read, “No a la Guerra” or “No to war” on the carpet. Onstage while presenting, Bardem spoke out against the current global turmoil, saying, “No to war and free Palestine.”

Terry explained that he had been in the hair and makeup chair experimenting with a bold look, including blonde highlights in his signature quiff. "I had gotten really pally with the hair and make-up team, so I’m sat in the hair and make-up chair, and they’re like, ‘Shall we have some fun today?’" he recalled. During a subsequent sound check on stage, the atmosphere shifted abruptly, and he was pulled aside by a producer named Jamie and taken back to hair and makeup.

In a private room, Terry was told to remain silent while a senior figure – whose identity he declined to name – ordered the change, stating, "We have to change his hair back now because he looks too gay." The singer described the moment as leaving him shocked and speechless, likening it to a "double whammy" since he had not yet come out publicly and was navigating his identity privately. At the time, Terry was aware of his own sexuality but waiting for the right moment and partner to share it openly.

This revelation builds on Terry's earlier comments to ITV News in 2024, where he first alluded to the same incident during promotion of his new single. "They'd be like putting blond in my hair and this and that got a hold of my eyebrows maybe a little too slick um and then I remember just like being pulled back into the hair room after my dress rehearsal because it come from above that I looked too gay," he said in that interview. Terry emphasized a lack of sufficient care for contestants' well-being, particularly around sexuality, noting tabloid speculation during the show focused more on his personal life than his talent. He rejected offers from newspapers to discuss his sexuality for money, calling it "corrupt."

In response to Terry's 2024 account, an X Factor spokesperson stated: "The X Factor has always been proud to champion and welcome contestants from a diverse range of backgrounds with the duty of care of all contributors being of the utmost importance to us." They added that during Terry's 2016 participation, "there were robust measures in place to ensure everyone involved in the making of the program was supported throughout their experience and beyond, including a dedicated welfare team right up until last year." No specific response to the recent podcast disclosure was immediately available from PinkNews reporting as of March 12, 2026.

Terry views the episode as a stark example of the homophobia prevalent behind the scenes in UK reality television at the time. He noted that no one had explicitly discussed his sexuality with him, assuming it might alienate fans, such as young female viewers. Coming out as gay in a 2024 Gay Times interview marked a significant step after stepping back from the spotlight.

For many in the LGBTQ+ community, Terry's story underscores ongoing challenges for queer individuals in high-stakes entertainment environments, where image control can intersect with identity policing. His willingness to share now, years later, highlights evolving conversations around authenticity and support in the industry. Terry has returned to music with tracks reflecting his experiences, including one about the secrecy of his first same-sex relationship. He urged others: "I don't want anybody to make the same mistake as I did because there's no need to because there's so much room for everyone in this world to love freely."