The 2026 Oscars Made One Thing Clear. The Art Still Comes First.

Summary:

• The 98th Academy Awards celebrated human-made art, with Conan O’Brien joking about AI, and Will Arnett defending animation as an art form.

• The ceremony honored global artistry and collaboration in chaotic times, with historic wins for women and K-pop music.

• “Sinners” cast delivered a tribute to Black artistry with a live performance, showcasing resilience and optimism in the industry.

The 98th Academy Awards honored the best in film on Sunday night, but one theme kept surfacing throughout the ceremony: the defense of human-made art.

Host Conan O’Brien set the tone early. “I’m Conan O’Brien, and I’m honored to be the last human host of the Academy Awards,” he joked during his opening monologue. “Next year it’s going to be a Waymo in a tux.”

The sharpest moment came from Will Arnett, who used his time presenting the animated categories to make a direct statement against AI. “Tonight, we are celebrating people, not AI, because animation is more than a prompt. It’s an art form, and it needs to be protected,” Arnett said.

 

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Later, O’Brien acknowledged the weight of the current moment. “Everyone watching right now, around the world, is all too aware that these are very chaotic, frightening times,” he said. “We pay tribute tonight not just to film, but to the ideals of global artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience, and that rarest of qualities today: optimism.”

The ceremony backed those words with historic wins. Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman and first person of color to win the Oscar for best cinematography for her work on “Sinners.” During her speech, she asked every woman in the room to stand. “Moments like this don’t happen without women standing up for you and advocating for you,” she said backstage.

“Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” became the first K-pop song to win best original song. Director Maggie Kang accepted the best animated feature award, saying, “For those of you who look like me, I’m so sorry that it took this long to see us in a movie like this.”

The “Sinners” cast also delivered a live performance of “I Lied to You” alongside Buddy Guy, Brittany Howard, Shaboozey, Misty Copeland and more in what served as a tribute to Black artistry across generations. The Dolby Theatre crowd gave a standing ovation.