Oscars 2026 winners: stars who won their first Academy Award this year

The 98th Academy Awards delivered several career-defining moments as a number of actors and filmmakers won their first-ever Oscar during Hollywood’s biggest night.

While films such as One Battle After Another and Sinners dominated the ceremony, the night also marked a major milestone for several stars who finally took home their first Academy Award after years, and in some cases decades, in the industry.

Here are some of the stars who won their first Oscar at the 2026 Academy Awards.

Jessie Buckley

Jessie Buckley secured her first Academy Award after winning best actress for her performance in the emotional drama Hamnet.

The Irish actor had previously received one Oscar nomination for her supporting role in The Lost Daughter, where she portrayed the younger version of Olivia Colman’s character.

Buckley’s victory followed a strong awards season run and cemented her place among the industry’s leading performers.

Michael B Jordan

Michael B Jordan also celebrated his first Oscar win, taking home the award for best actor for his performance in Sinners.

Jordan’s portrayal of twin brothers Smoke and Stack in the musical vampire thriller was widely praised during the awards season.

The actor triumphed in a competitive category that included Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Ethan Hawke and Wagner Moura.

His win was one of the most talked about moments of the night as fans praised both the performance and his long-awaited Academy Award victory.

Amy Madigan

Amy Madigan delivered one of the most remarkable stories of the evening, winning her first Academy Award for best supporting actress for her performance as Aunt Gladys in the horror film Weapons.

Her victory came nearly 40 years after her previous nomination for Twice in a Lifetime, marking one of the longest gaps between Oscar nominations for an actor.

Madigan’s performance had already gained strong momentum during awards season after she picked up wins at the Critics Choice Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Ryan Coogler

Ryan Coogler also celebrated his first Academy Award after winning best original screenplay for Sinners.

The filmmaker had previously earned Oscar nominations for his work on Judas and the Black Messiah and the soundtrack for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Sinners proved to be one of the night’s biggest success stories, collecting multiple awards during the ceremony.

Paul Thomas Anderson

After decades of nominations, Paul Thomas Anderson finally secured his first Oscar at the 2026 ceremony.

The acclaimed filmmaker won multiple awards for One Battle After Another, including best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay.

Anderson had previously been nominated for films such as Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread and Inherent Vice, making the long-awaited win a major highlight of the evening.

Autumn Durald Arkapaw

Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw also made history when she won her first Academy Award for Sinners.

Her victory marked the first time a woman has won the Oscar for best cinematography.

During her speech, Arkapaw invited women in the audience to stand alongside her to celebrate the historic moment.

Joachim Trier

Director Joachim Trier earned his first Academy Award when Sentimental Value won best international feature film.

The victory marked the first time a Norwegian film has won the category, making it a landmark moment for Norway’s film industry.