Oscars 2026 recap: The biggest winners and best moments

Billy Crystal honored his close friend of many decades, renowned director Rob Reiner, as well as Rob Reiner's wife Michele Reiner, at the Oscars.

Crystal highlighted some of Rob Reiner’s most iconic films, including “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “A Few Good Men.”

“My friend Rob’s movies will last for lifetimes, because they were about what makes us laugh and cry, and what we aspire to be," Crystal said. “And when Michele Singer entered his life, they were unstoppable."

"A gifted photographer, she not only produced films with Rob, but it was her energy that had them working tirelessly to fight social injustice in the country that they both love," he continued, noting how the Reiners "became the driving force in the landmark decision for marriage equality."

“Their loss is immeasurable," Crystal said. "And to the millions who have enjoyed his films all these years, I want you to know, here and around the world, how many times Rob told me that it meant everything to him that his work meant something to you."

Crystal concluded his tribute to Rob Reiner with a reference to an iconic line from "The Princess Bride." "For us who had the privilege of working with and knowing him and loving him, all we can say is, buddy, what fun we had storming the castle," he said.

The Reiners were stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14, 2025. Their son, Nick Reiner, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges and is being held without bail.

Ryan Coogler won his first Academy Award for best original screenplay for "Sinners."

Coogler called the award “an incredible honor.”

He thanked the cast and crew before giving his wife Zinzi Coogler and their kids a sweet shoutout.

“Zinzi, you the best wife and mom in the world. Every day I get to spend with you is better than the one that came before it,” the director said.

To his children, Coogler said, “When y’all blessed to live a long life and dad becomes just a memory, I want y’all to remember this one thing: I love y’all more than anything.”

Other nominees in the category included "Blue Moon" (Robert Kaplow); "It Was Just an Accident" (written by Jafar Panahi, with script collaborators Nader Saïvar, Shadmehr Rastin, and Mehdi Mahmoudian); "Marty Supreme" (Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie) and "Sentimental Value" (Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier).

When Sean Penn was announced as the winner for best supporting actor for his performance in "One Battle After Another," some were surprised to not see the actor in attendance.

It's unclear as to why Penn wasn't at the Oscars. Last year's winner for supporting actor, Kieran Culkin, who announced the category, said, "Sean Penn couldn't be here this evening, or didn't want to, so I'll be accepting the award on his behalf."

This past awards season, Penn won the BAFTA for best supporting actor, and the Actor Award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role, but he did not attend those award shows either.

Paul Thomas Anderson won his first Academy Award with his win for best adapted screenplay for "One Battle After Another."

“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,” he said in his acceptance speech, "but also with the encouragement that they will be the generation that hopefully brings us some common sense and decency.”

He also gave a shoutout to his longtime partner, actress Maya Rudolph.

Anderson and Rudolph, who share four children, met at a "Saturday Night Live" after-party over 20 years ago, Rudolph told Town & Country magazine in 2024.

"He said he saw me in a sketch and said, 'That's the girl I'm going to marry,'" Rudolph said of Anderson at the time. "But I don't know. I wasn't there. Maybe he just told me that to be sweet."

Other nominees in the category were Will Tracy ("Bugonia"); Guillermo del Toro ("Frankenstein"); Chloé Zhao and Maggie O'Farrell ("Hamnet"); and Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar ("Train Dreams").