Oscars 2026: My Night, My Favorites, My Feelings 🎬

The night kicked off with Conan O'Brien doing this hilarious opening where he’s running through different movies while dressed as Amy Madigan’s Aunt Gladys from Weapons. It immediately gave me those classic Oscar vibes, very Billy Crystal energy, and I loved it. Such a fun way to start the show.

But honestly… this night for me came down to two movies: One Battle After Another and Sinners.

I loved One Battle After Another. Every single performance hit. Leonardo DiCaprio was incredible, Benicio Del Toro really stood out, and Sean Penn was just on another level (Oscar Winner for Best Supporting Actor). So when it won big, Best Picture, Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, it made total sense to me.

But Sinners… that one hit different.

There’s just something about it that stayed with me. It surprised me, pulled me in, and it’s one of those movies I can watch over and over again and still feel something new. That’s my kind of movie.

And then there was Michael B. Jordan.

His speech? One of my favorite moments of the entire night.

He walks up, a little serious, then breaks into this smile and just says, “Hey, Mom.” And from there, it’s just pure heart. Thanking his family, shouting out Ryan Coogler, appreciating the audience… it all felt so real. And when he honored legends like Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington, you could feel how much that moment meant.

I was so happy for him. Truly.

And speaking of Ryan Coogler, him winning Best Original Screenplay was such an exciting moment for me. I’ve always appreciated his work, so seeing him get that recognition felt really special.

I also loved seeing Frankenstein take Best Costume Design, Best Hair & Makeup and and Best Production Design. Guillermo del Toro’s vision for that film was just so strong, so that win felt right.

On the acting side, I’ll admit… I was quietly rooting for Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue. I knew it was a long shot, and Jesse Buckley really did feel like the one to beat (even with a tiny part of me wondering if Emma Stone might sneak in). But Jesse winning made total sense, she was phenomenal.

And I have to talk about the In Memoriam.

That segment always gets me, and this year was no different.

Seeing Billy Crystal up there, my favorite Oscar host ever, pay tribute to Rob Reiner really meant a lot, especially because I’m such a fan of his films.

Rachel McAdams honoring Diane Keaton was also such a beautiful, heartfelt moment.

And then closing with Barbra Streisand talking about Robert Redford.....and singing...was just… wow. One of my favorite love stories in film, and it hit all the emotions.

Also, how cool was it to see K-Pop Demon Hunters win Best Animated Feature, and “Golden” become the first K-pop song to ever win Best Original Song? Such a fun, historic moment.

At the end of the night, I just loved that different films got their moment.

One Battle After Another dominated, Sinners made a huge impact, and we got emotional speeches, history-making wins, and moments that actually felt meaningful.

Ahhh… what a great night. 🎬✨

Jesse Buckley and Michael B. Jordan