The 98th Academy Awards on Sunday night became a night of historic firsts and technical meltdowns, as Conan O’Brien delivered his second consecutive standout hosting performance while glitchy audio, erratic direction, and confusing cutaways plagued the nearly four-hour telecast. Despite the chaos, the Oscars celebrated groundbreaking wins—including the first Oscar for cinematography by a woman of color, the first K-pop song to win Best Original Song, and a tie for Live Action Short that echoed one of the ceremony’s most memorable ties in history.
Historic Wins Overshadowed by Technical Failures
The Oscars celebrated several industry milestones, but none were more groundbreaking than Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s victory for Best Cinematography for *One Battle After Another*. By breaking the glass ceiling as the first woman—and first woman of color and first Filipina—to win in the category, Durald Arkapaw’s historic win symbolized a long-overdue moment for inclusivity in a field historically dominated by white men. Her achievement capped a night where female filmmakers also made significant strides, including Cassandra Kulukundis, who became the first person to win an Oscar for Casting.
Firsts and Ties Define a Night of Milestones
The global reach of cinema was on full display when *Golden*, the K-pop anthem from *KPop Demon Hunters*, took home Best Original Song, marking the first time a song in the genre has won an Oscar. The ceremony also featured a rare tie in the Live Action Short category, with *The Singers* and *Two People Exchanging Saliva* sharing the award—one of only six ties in Oscar history. The tie harkened back to Barbra Streisand’s 1984 win in a tied Best Original Song category, a moment that Streisand herself referenced during the broadcast.
Career-Capping Moments and Long-Awaited Recognition
Amy Madigan’s win for Best Supporting Actress in *One Battle After Another* marked a 40-year journey to her first Oscar, following her sole prior nomination in 1986 for *Twice in a Lifetime*—a film so obscure even the critic covering the Oscars admitted ignorance of it. Meanwhile, Paul Thomas Anderson’s triple triumph for *One Battle After Another*, including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, solidified his place as one of the most celebrated filmmakers of his generation. The film’s sweeping success underscored a night where revolutionary themes dominated the winners’ circle, reflecting the political and social undercurrents shaping this year’s Oscar contenders.
Conan O’Brien Shines Amid the Chaos: A Host’s Redemption Arc
If the Oscars’ technical failures were the night’s biggest embarrassment, Conan O’Brien’s hosting was its saving grace. For the second consecutive year, O’Brien elevated the telecast with sharp wit, sincerity, and an uncanny ability to guide viewers through the chaos. His opening monologue, though overlong, set a tone that balanced humor and topicality, with jokes skewering everything from the Academy’s international blind spots to the absurdity of vertical video formats. As the night wore on, O’Brien’s commentary—whether teasing a feral child segment or playfully challenging *The Mandalorian*’s Baby Yoda to applaud—demonstrated a host who was both attentive and effortlessly in control.
“I think it’s important to acknowledge the collaborative and often international nature of filmmaking,” O’Brien remarked early in the broadcast, subtly nodding to the political and cultural conversations dominating this year’s awards season.
The Technical Disaster: Audio Glitches, Confusing Cutaways, and a Near-Silent Matt Berry
Yet for every moment of triumph, there was a corresponding technical failure. From the outset, the telecast was plagued by muffled audio, erratic muting of house microphones, and a baffling decision to have announcer Matt Berry—recorded from London—deliver his lines in a deadpan monotone, as if auditioning for a corporate training video. Viewers reported inconsistent audio quality across platforms, with some feeds missing Berry’s voice entirely. The issues extended beyond sound: confusing reaction shots captured empty seats while musical performances struggled to maintain visual coherence. The *Sinners* number, though entertaining, suffered from choppy direction that failed to capture the thrill of Misty Copeland’s ballet cameo, while the *KPop Demon Hunters* performance was marred by stage lights flickering on and off as if the crew were troubleshooting in real time.
Political Undercurrents and Missed Opportunities in a Fractured Awards Season
This year’s Oscars arrived in the wake of a Golden Globes telecast widely criticized for its lack of diversity, setting the stage for a ceremony that embraced political and social commentary more openly. O’Brien and Jimmy Kimmel traded barbs about former President Donald Trump without uttering his name, a subtle nod to the era’s fraught political climate. Meanwhile, winners used their acceptance speeches to deliver pointed statements—Javier Bardem’s declaration “No to war and free Palestine” and the team behind *Mr. Nobody Against Putin* drawing parallels between their documentary’s themes and current geopolitical tensions. Yet for all the overt messaging, some moments fell flat, including Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor’s lackluster reunion for *Moulin Rouge!* and Anna Wintour’s visibly detached presence during a tribute to Anne Hathaway.
The Good, the Bad, and the Painfully Overlong: A Telecast That Couldn’t Decide Its Priorities
While O’Brien’s segments and the historic wins provided moments of joy, the telecast suffered from a lack of discipline in pacing. The Bridesmaids reunion, though initially amusing, devolved into an interminable reading of audience notes, while Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans’ attempt at humor landed with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Even the In Memoriam segment, typically a somber highlight, ran long despite tributes to legends like Rob Reiner, Diane Keaton, and Robert Redford—though Robert Duvall’s omission from a standalone tribute hinted at the segment’s uneven curation.
Key Takeaways: What the 98th Academy Awards Taught Us
- Conan O’Brien’s hosting salvaged an otherwise chaotic Oscars, proving his second consecutive year was no fluke with sharp commentary and effortless crowd work.
- Historic firsts—including Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s Best Cinematography win and *Golden*’s K-pop Oscar—highlighted the ceremony’s strides toward inclusivity and global representation.
- Technical failures, from glitchy audio to confusing cutaways, dominated viewer experiences, raising questions about the Academy’s preparedness for live broadcasts.
- Political and social statements took center stage, reflecting the industry’s growing willingness to address pressing issues, even as some moments missed their mark.
- The Oscars’ pacing issues underscored a broader challenge: balancing meaningful tributes, historic wins, and entertainment without sacrificing coherence.
The Aftermath: Will the Academy Learn from Its Mistakes?
As the dust settles on the 98th Academy Awards, the question lingers: Can Hollywood’s most prestigious ceremony reconcile its ambition with its execution? The Oscars have long been a target for criticism over pacing, relevance, and tone, but this year’s technical failures crossed into uncharted territory. Industry insiders have speculated that the Academy may accelerate plans to move the telecast to a digital-first platform like YouTube, where technical glitches are less likely to derail the narrative. For now, however, the lasting images of the night will be the historic wins and O’Brien’s deft hosting—not the muffled audio or the stage lights that flickered like a dying bulb. Whether that’s enough to silence the critics remains to be seen.
The Bigger Picture: How the Oscars Reflect Hollywood’s Evolving Identity
The 98th Academy Awards arrived at a cultural inflection point, where the industry’s commitment to diversity, political engagement, and technical innovation collided with its legacy of exclusivity and inefficiency. The wins for Durald Arkapaw and Kulukundis signaled progress, while the telecast’s failures exposed the fragility of a live event in an era of on-demand content. Yet the Oscars’ ability to adapt—whether through hosting choices like O’Brien’s or a renewed focus on global stories—suggests that even its missteps can serve a purpose. As filmmakers and audiences alike demand more from the Academy, the 2026 ceremony may well be remembered as a turning point: one where the cracks in the system were too glaring to ignore.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 98th Academy Awards
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who won the first Oscar for cinematography by a woman of color?
- Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history by becoming the first woman of color—and first Filipina—to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography for *One Battle After Another*.
- What technical issues plagued the 98th Academy Awards telecast?
- Viewers reported widespread audio glitches, erratic muting of microphones, confusing cutaways, and inconsistent sound quality across platforms, with announcer Matt Berry’s voice often inaudible.
- Did Conan O’Brien host the Oscars for a second consecutive year?
- Yes, O’Brien returned for his second straight year as host and delivered a strong performance that salvaged much of the ceremony’s chaotic pacing and technical failures.
