(L-R) Andy Jurgensen, Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sara Murphy, Chase Infiniti, Benicio del Toro, Cassandra Kulukundis, and Michael Bauman pose in the press room after 'One Battle After Another' won the Best Film, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Cinematography awards at the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2026 at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Britain, 22 February 2026. The ceremony is hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). EPA/TOLGA AKMEN LATE NIGHT QUIPS
Conan O'Brien does not usually get as overtly political as other hosts. But in his opening monologue this year, he warned otherwise. To those unhappy with that, he said they could attend an alternative show hosted by Kid Rock, an American singer who during the Super Bowl in February staged a competing halftime show to Bad Bunny's performance.
"Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos is here and this is exciting: This is his first time in a theater. ‘This is what they’re talking about? Why are they together enjoying themselves?! They should be home alone!'" O'Brien joked about the home streaming platform in his opening monologue.
Late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel, a previous Academy Awards host, lauded the courage of documentary filmmakers, noting that in some countries, they don't believe in free speech. He said he wasn't at liberty to say which ones, then joked, "Let's leave it at North Korea and CBS."
He then poked fun of U.S. President Donald Trump, saying, "Oh, is he going to be mad his wife wasn't nominated for this." First lady Melania Trump's documentary wasn't released until 2026 so it did not qualify for the awards.
RESISTANCE TAKES CENTER STAGE
"Mr. Nobody Against Putin," about a young Russian schoolteacher waging quiet resistance against Russia's war on Ukraine, won the Oscar for best documentary feature. Director David Borenstein said in his acceptance speech that the film was about how to lose one's country through small acts of complicity.
"When we act complicit, when a government murders people on the streets of our major cities, when we don't say anything, when oligarchs take over media and control how we produce it," he said. The comments followed the killing of two Americans in Minneapolis by immigration agents.
IN MEMORIAM
The loss of so many iconic names in Hollywood this year led to one of the longest segments for the long show. Director Rob Reiner was honored by Billy Crystal after Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead at their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on December 14, 2025.
Barbra Streisand, who played opposite Robert Redford in "The Way We Were," called him a "brilliant, subtle actor" and an "intellectual cowboy." She finished her remarks by singing a few lines from the movie's title song.
FIRST NEW CATEGORY IN DECADES
The award for achievement in casting is the first new award category established since best animated feature film in 2001.
It formally recognizes the role casting directors contribute to a film's vision and its overall success. Cassandra Kulukundis received the award for “One Battle After Another.”
TWO FILMS, ONE OSCAR
"The Singers" and "Two People Exchanging Saliva" tied to win best live action short film. There have been only six ties previously in Oscars history – the last time was in 2013 for best sound.
(Reporting by Jenna Zucker, Steve Gorman, Christina Anagnostopoulos, Dawn Chmielewski, Nick Zieminski and Vanessa Balintec; Writing by Jenna Zucker; Editing by Howard Goller)