The 98th Academy Awards ended with Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” winning Best Picture.

Comedian Conan O’Brien hosted again, and the night had a mix of expected wins, surprises, and funny behind-the-scenes moments. It was a night full of stars, speeches, and memorable moments.

Conan O’Brien was the star of the show, with Disney Exec Rob Mills jokingly calling him “host for life.”

The night started with a big, creative cold open where Conan dressed as Aunt Gladys from Weapons, appearing in scenes from the year’s biggest movies.

The bit mixed animated segments with real child actors, and even featured multiple Michael B. Jordans in the audience, thanks to clever editing.

Leonardo DiCaprio was surprised by his cameo, which Mills joked is normal for anyone over 30.

Music was a highlight too, with Josh Groban performing a funny song imagining Conan’s dream Emmy speech and Matt Berry announced live from London, and Jane Lynch starred in hilarious YouTube ad parodies.

Conan even turned the green set with its quirky “trees” into a comedy bit with a leaf blower, which the audience loved.

The show kept the energy high with exciting performances, including Pierce the Veil with Buddy Guy and Misty Copeland.

But live TV’s unpredictability showed too, as some winners, like Kate Hawley, needed bleeps for swearing.

Overall, it was a night full of laughs, surprises, and unforgettable moments that only Conan could deliver.

The ceremony had some memorable moments but didn’t quite hit the mark compared to glitzy events like the Golden Globes.

Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor’s Moulin Rouge chemistry and Barbra Streisand’s tribute to Robert Redford stood out, but many sketches, like Josh Groban and Jane Lynch’s, felt old-fashioned.

The fans also missed big stars, no Meryl Streep for a The Devil Wears Prada 2 gag, or Tom Cruise in the Rob Reiner tribute.

Busy schedules likely kept stars like Timothée Chalamet away, prompting calls for the Academy to get more creative.

On the awards side, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another won six Oscars, including Best Picture and Director, finally giving the filmmaker his long-awaited win.

Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor but skipped the ceremony to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Michael B. Jordan made history as the sixth Black man to win Best Actor for Sinners, while Jessie Buckley became the first Irish actress to win Best Actress for Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, dedicating her award to “the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.”

Despite some misses, the ceremony delivered historic wins and heartfelt moments that reminded viewers why awards season still matters.

The 98th Academy Awards made history. Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman, first Black person, and first Filipina to win Best Cinematography for Sinners.

With this, women have now won in every non-gendered Oscar category. Ryan Coogler also won Original Screenplay for the same film, only the second Black screenwriter to do so.

Cassandra Kulukundis won the first-ever Casting Oscar. Amy Madigan surprised everyone by winning Best Supporting Actress for the horror film Weapons.

Mr. Nobody Against Putin, a documentary about free speech in the Russo-Ukrainian war, won Best Documentary Feature and KPop Demon Hunters won both Animated Feature and Original Song, helping Netflix tie its record of seven Oscars.

Frankenstein won three craft awards for production design, costumes, and makeup & hairstyling.

There was a rare tie for Best Live-Action Short Film between The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva.

The In Memoriam segment sparked debate over omissions. Barbra Streisand honored Robert Redford with a short tribute, while Jane Fonda joked about why Streisand was chosen.

Horror films had a record night, winning eight Oscars—more than ever before. The ceremony showed that no matter the predictions, the Academy’s final vote always brings surprises.