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There are the Oscars you see on television and the ones that take place off camera. During commercial breaks, it can be a race to catch up with, congratulate and possibly console the peers around you. It can also be a time to run to the famed lobby bar and really be out of sight.
At Sunday’s 98th Oscars, The Associated Press was inside the Dolby Theatre scoping out all the things that weren’t broadcast to the world.
Before the show began
The stars like to cut things close when it comes to the Oscars. Many of the biggest names of the night didn’t make it to the red carpet until it was just 30 minutes to showtime. But unlike a premiere, live television doesn’t wait for the tardy A-lister to start.
And it can be a helpful excuse when, say, you’re Paul Mescal, and you don’t want to do the “glambot.” “Sorry, I don’t have time,” he said politely. But as he made his way up the stairs to the Dolby Theatre with girlfriend Gracie Abrams by his side, she laughed and snarked, “You sure you don’t want to do the glambot?”
A Hudson/Hawn/Russell Oscars
Early in the show, after Conan O’Brien’s opening bit, Kate Hudson made her way to the lobby bar during a commercial break where she was soon joined by Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. She had a brief moment of panic that she might be needed in the auditorium and found a nearby staffer who eased her worries as they looked over the schedule on an iPad.
“I’m good!” she said as she made her way back to her mom and Russell, and the three continued chatting.
They stayed close all evening. As they made their way out of the auditorium after the show, Hudson, who did not win the best actress prize, was still in good spirits and excitedly congratulated Michael B. Jordan on his win. Later, Kieran Culkin stopped Hawn and Russell and said, “It was really cool watching you interact with your daughter.”
Drinks for the stars
Part of the fun of the lobby bar experience is getting a little glimpse into what the stars like to drink. After the absent Sean Penn took the best supporting actor prize, Jacob Elordi made his way to the bar with his mom, keeping her close with an arm around her shoulder. He chose a nice tequila, Don Julio 1942, with a bit of ice and lime.
In another part of the room, Nicole Kidman laughed and socialized while sipping champagne. Nearby, Jessie Buckley was doing the same. Mescal chose a pink colored tequila drink, while Abrams opted for champagne.
Nick Jonas held two bottled waters and a mixed tequila drink in his hand, which he sipped slowly. But it seems he or someone else wanted a vodka drink, which a kind server checked on and informed him that there was none to be offered. He thanked her and made his way back to the bar to leave a cash tip.
Some stars weren’t drinking, though. Domnhall Gleeson snacked on Hershey kisses with almonds, while “Heated Rivalry” star Hudson Williams ate a single sliced cucumber.
Emma Stone has another dress incident
Ok, so this one wasn’t quite as dramatic, or public, as Emma Stone telling the Oscars audience and millions watching from home that her dress broke as she accepted her best actress Oscar for “Poor Things,” but Stone had another minor dress incident in the lobby. While chatting with “Bugonia” screenwriter Will Tracy and his date, she lost her diamond ring which had affixed itself to the back of her gown. The woman with Tracy performed a delicate operation to remove the ring, dress unscathed and get it back on Stone’s middle finger.
Afterparty planning
Much of the chatter outside of the show revolved around what people were doing after, and complaints about not being on the list for Vanity Fair, which culled its invites this year in an effort to make it more exclusive. Stone made a plan to jump on a big bus with her “Bugonia” peers and stop by the Universal Pictures party before heading to A24’s bash. When asked about Vanity Fair, she said, “It’s so weird, even if you’re nominated, it doesn’t mean you can go.”
Family support from the mezzanine
Both Jordan and Buckley made special mention of their families in the audience during their acceptance speeches. Both Jordan’s father and Buckley’s family were seated in the same section — not bad seats by any stretch, but a bit out of view of the person on stage. After the wins, many in the families were eager to congratulate them as well.
Demi en Gucci styled by Brad Goreski #Oscars pic.twitter.com/kdNRH5dizR
— Rebeca Maccise (@rebecamaccise) March 15, 2026
Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet are bringing the love to the Vanity Fair #Oscars Party carpet. ❤️ #AwardsSeason pic.twitter.com/LG9WRMKOrg
— E! News (@enews) March 16, 2026
Gwyneth Paltrow is facing backlash after wearing this dress at the Oscars pic.twitter.com/8y7e7ynG0j
— USA NEWS 🇺🇸 (@usanewshq) March 16, 2026
Olivia Rodrigo attends the Vanity Fair #Oscars party.
— Pop Base (@PopBase) March 16, 2026
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The ‘Sinners’ crew sticks together
When the show ended and the “One Battle After Another” crew lingered on stage, hugging one another and watching, the “Sinners” group made their way out of the auditorium together. Jordan hugged costume designer Ruth E. Carter, while Joachim Trier found his way to Ryan Coogler to do the same. Ryan and Zinzi Coogler paused to look up at the screen which was already replaying Jordan’s acceptance speech.
Omar Benson Miller, who played Cornbread, was still processing the night. In the theatre and at the bar, the “Sinners” wins were by far the most enthusiastically celebrated. Though he said he has a tendency to be a “sore loser,” he still felt the palpable love for their film. “Hey, we got a couple!” he said.
Scenes from the Governors Ball
The first stop of the night for most is the Governors Ball, just a few escalator rides up from the Dolby. The happiest area was the Warner Bros. “One Battle After Another” tables where Leonardo DiCaprio, sipping red wine, and Benicio Del Toro, with champagne and not a few small beers, held court with studio executives, including Pamela Abdy. David Zaslav stopped by to chat with DiCaprio, too, patting his star on the back. When DiCaprio saw co-star Chase Infiniti approaching the area, he made a gesture that was not entirely dissimilar to his famous cheers from “The Great Gatsby.”
Elsewhere, Renate Reinsve ditched her shoes and walked barefoot through the party, which was carpeted. Steven Spielberg told “Train Dreams” director Clint Bentley about his plans to stop by Vanity Fair and how much he wanted to talk to Paul Thomas Anderson. Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons stayed close to Alicia Silverstone, while Kerry Condon sampled the prime rib.
And Mandy Patinkin sat alone, sampling sushi and trying to make a phone call as the music blared. Patinkin said he was honoured to be there to support his late friend Rob Reiner.
“Rob made a beautiful movie,” he said.
The 2026 Oscars ceremony is the crescendo that ends awards season: the crowning glory for which the A-listers save their most eye-popping looks, teariest speeches and biggest on-stage surprises. From the red carpet shenanigans and candid interviews to Conan O’Brien’s opening monologue, the rousing musical performances, hilarious reunions and most jaw-dropping plot twists, here are all of the moments you might have missed from the 98th Academy Awards.
Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale, Paul Mescal and Gracie Abrams, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons, Emily V Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee, Amy Madigan and Ed Harris – as date nights go, it was a corker.
Buddy Guy warmed our hearts
The 89-year-old blues legend, who appears at the end of Sinners, was iconic on the Glambot, and told ABC News: “You never get too old for something like this… I’m more excited than anybody else. This is a dream come true.” I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Hudson Williams dished on Heated Rivalry season two
And his one-word response on what to expect broke us all into a sweat.
Kevin O’Leary went full Marty Supreme
After Timothée Chalamet’s comments about the irrelevance of opera and ballet made the Josh Safdie-directed romp a late-in-the-game awards season villain, O’Leary, who plays the film’s antagonist, leaned in via a bedazzled suit and $13 million sports card necklace. Jafar Panahi, the dissident Iranian director of It Was Just An Accident, summed up our feelings.
Diane Warren was refreshingly honest
The Best Original Song contender for “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless (a 17-time Oscar nominee, who still has no competitive wins) was asked who she was rooting for at the ceremony. Her answer: “Me!” A rare and highly meme-able bit of red carpet honesty.
Traffic-stopping red was the shade of the night
As seen on Renate Reinsve, Kylie Jenner, Sinners’s Li Jun Li and Jessie Buckley, who wore pale pink and bright red Chanel.
Feathers and fringe were the accents du jour
Sported by Nicole Kidman, Demi Moore and 2026’s awards season MVP Teyana Taylor.
Conan O’Brien paid tribute to Aunt Gladys in his opening monologue
And raced through the sets of F1, Marty Supreme, Hamnet, One Battle After Another, KPop Demon Hunters, Sinners and Sentimental Value (speaking Norwegian, no less), before ascending to the Oscars stage. Jokes followed about opera and ballet, Ted Sarandos, and the Epstein files, after which he (accompanied by Josh Groban) broke into song.
Amy Madigan teared up
Upon winning the Best Supporting Actress prize for Weapons, the 75-year-old laughed wildly, talked about shaving her legs last night (“I’ve got pants on, I didn’t need to worry about that”) and got emotional after paying tribute to her husband, fellow legendary actor Ed Harris. “He’s been with me forever; it’s a long-ass time. And none of this would mean anything if he wasn’t by my side.”
The KPop Demon Hunters team made Korea proud
“This is for Korea and Koreans everywhere,” said KPop Demon Hunters director Maggie Kang after collecting her Best Animated Feature Oscar. “For those of you who look like me, I’m so sorry that it took us so long to see us in a movie like this, but it is here. And that means that the next generations don’t have to go longing.” Later, Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami belted “Golden”, and took home the Best Original Song Oscar.
Anna Wintour was a comic genius
Joining Anne Hathaway to present the Oscars for Best Costume Design and Best Make-up & Hair, sunglasses and all, the fashion icon was a deadpan delight – and even got in a “Thank you, Emily” dig. The Devil Wears Prada 2 press tour clearly starts now.
There was a tie
No, presenter Kumail Nanjiani wasn’t joking – the Best Live Action Short Oscar went to both The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva. “Ironic that the Short Film Oscar takes twice as long,” the comedian grinned. This is now the seventh tie in Oscars history.
There was a supersized In Memoriam segment
Leading that portion of the show, Billy Crystal honoured the genius of Rob Reiner, and was then joined on stage by Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Kathy Bates, Demi Moore et al. Then, Rachel McAdams paid tribute to Catherine O’Hara and Diane Keaton, after which Barbra Streisand came on stage to talk about Robert Redford. “I miss him now more than ever,” she said, before crooning “The Way We Were”.
Politics wasn’t entirely ignored
In a ceremony largely devoid of politics, the documentary categories were an urgent reminder of the current state of the world. Jimmy Kimmel, who presented both Documentary Feature and Documentary Short, quipped, “Oh is he gonna be mad his wife wasn’t nominated for this”, as he opened the envelope for the former. The Short prize went to All the Empty Rooms, which focuses on children killed in school shootings. That team’s speech included a plea from the mother of a girl lost in such an incident, who said of her daughter: “Jackie is more than just a headline, she is our light and our life. Gun violence is now the number one cause of death in kids and teens. We believe that if the world could see their empty bedrooms, we’d be a different America.”
Then, Mr Nobody Against Putin took Best Documentary Feature. In a powerful speech, received with wild applause, the filmmakers said: “Mr Nobody Against Putin is about how you lose your country. You lose it through countless small little 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 the media… We all face a moral choice. But even a nobody is more powerful than you think. In the name of our future, in the name of all of our children, stop all of these wars now.”
Later, Javier Bardem, on stage to present Best International Feature, echoed this sentiment, adding, “No to war. And free Palestine.” Its recipient, Sentimental Value’s Joachim Trier, added, “All adults are responsible for all children. Let’s not vote for politicians who don’t take this seriously into account.”
Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history
The Sinners cinematographer became the first woman to take the Best Cinematography Oscar. “I’m so honoured to be here, and I want all the women in the room to stand up,” she said. “Because I don’t get here without you guys.” Beautiful. (Bonus points to Coogler for carrying her son down to her seat to watch her speech.)
Sinners shone
Miles Caton gave a goosebump-inducing rendition of Best Original Song nominee “I Lied to You” – with help from Shaboozey and Misty Copeland – and later, Ryan Coogler took the Best Original Screenplay prize. To his wife, Zinzi, he said: “You’re the best wife and mum in the world. To my babies at home watching, I apologise for all the time away. Dad loves you. Memories are all we have. I hope I’ve given you some great ones. When you’re blessed to live a long life and dad becomes just a memory, I want you to remember this one thing: I love you more than anything.”
Then, Ludwig Göransson took Best Score, calling Coogler “one of the best storytellers of our time. Thank you for making a movie that resonated with the whole world.”
Michael B Jordan triumphed
Besting Best Actor favourite, Marty Supreme’s Timothée Chalamet, the Sinners star looked genuinely stunned. “God is good,” he said. “Mama, wassup? Hey pops, where you at? Thank you Warner Brothers for betting on original ideas and artistry. I stand here because of the people that came before me, Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Will Smith, and to be amongst those giants, those greats, amongst my ancestors, thank you, everybody in this room and everybody at home for supporting me over my career. I feel it. I know you guys want me to do well, and I want to do that because you guys bet on me, so thank you for keeping betting on me.” (Oh, and Adrien Brody proved to be a very funny presenter.)
Jessie Buckley’s awards season dominance continued
The Hamnet star looked overwhelmed, telling the crowd: “This is really something. My Irish family, they’re all here. Ireland bought them flights!” To her husband, she said, “I want to have 20,000 more babies with you.” She continued, “It’s Mother’s Day in the UK today, so I’d like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart. This is the greatest honour. I can’t even believe it.” She ended her speech with a few words in Irish – fitting, given she’s the first Irish woman to take home the Best Actress statuette.
One Battle After Another prevailed
The power of Paul Thomas Anderson’s revolutionary saga was apparent early on in the night, when it scooped the Academy’s inaugural Best Casting prize in a shock victory over the favourite, Sinners’s prolific Francine Maisler. “Ten movies, we’ve done this for over 30 years, we grew up together,” the recipient, Cassandra Kulukundis, said to Anderson. “This is freaking insane and I have one of these before you, which is also crazy. I hope you get one tonight.”
Sean Penn then won Best Supporting Actor, his third Oscar, but failed to show up. (“He couldn’t be here this evening or didn’t want to, so I’ll be accepting this on his behalf,” said presenter Kieran Culkin.) After that, Anderson collected his very first Oscar after 14 nominations, for Best Adapted Screenplay. “I wrote this movie for my kids, to say sorry for the housekeeping mess we left in this world that we’re handing off to them,” he told the crowd. “But also, with the encouragement that they will be the generation that hopefully brings us some common sense and decency.”
One Battle went on to take Best Editing, and PTA Best Director. “You make a guy work hard for one of these,” he joked. “There will always be some doubt in your heart that you deserve it, but there is no question at the pleasure of having it for myself.” When it was also announced as the Best Picture winner, Teyana Taylor got the director in a headlock. “Let’s have a martini,” he said. “This is pretty amazing.”
With the fall 2026 fashion shows having just wrapped in Paris last week, there was plenty of style inspiration to draw from for the red carpet of the 98th annual Academy Awards on Sunday, March 15. All of this year’s biggest stars gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to celebrate cinema—and right off the bat, classic Hollywood glamour was given a modern twist. Take nominee Rose Byrne. The If I Had Legs I’d Kick You actor donned a black Dior dress that dipped halfway down her back, and echoed themes from designer Jonathan Anderson’s sophomore collection shown earlier this month, like beaded flowers that evoked a stroll through the Tuileries.
Jessie Buckley, also up for best actress for her star turn in Hamnet, continued her Chanel streak in a custom pink bustier chiffon dress with a red satin leather stole that was inspired by a look Grace Kelly wore to the Oscars in the 1950s. Both Mia Goth and Elle Fanning leaned into the bridal vibe that seemed to be a trend of the evening (the latter wore a Cartier necklace dating all the way back to 1904). Best actor nominees Timothée Chalamet and Jacob Elordi held it down for the guys, in ivory Givenchy and a Bottega Veneta tux, respectively. And Teyana Taylor, an awards season favourite nominated for One Battle After Another, stunned in a black-and-white feather gown also by Matthieu Blazy, which complemented her dazzling Tiffany & Co. jewelry: a platinum necklace with a diamond of over 18 carats. For more of our favourite looks of the evening, keep scrolling.
Zendaya in Louis Vuitton
Teyana Taylor in Chanel and Tiffany & Co. jewelry
Timothée Chalamet in Givenchy
Rose Byrne in Dior
Jessie Buckley in Chanel
Wagner Moura
Amy Madigan in Dior
Jacob Elordi in Bottega Veneta
Elle Fanning in Givenchy and Cartier jewelry
Emma Stone in Louis Vuitton
Mia Goth in Dior
Gracie Abrams in Chanel and Chanel High Jewelry
When it comes to the Oscars, one would hope that a hotly contested best-actor race would be a good omen for an evening of exciting menswear. It helps when the frontrunners in that category are Michael B. Jordan and Timothée Chalamet, two of the most stylish guys in Hollywood.
But on the Academy Awards 2026 red carpet, we also saw plenty of menswear…Sinners. Lots of weirdly informal looks, miscalculated swerves, sloppily tailored jacket sleeves, and cornily conspicuous wrist shots. Even Chalamet, in a custom Givenchy white tuxedo, biffed it, opting for laughably baggy trousers and clunky matching boots.
Historically, the Oscars is tinseltown’s most formal event—the dress code is black-tie, and it’s one of the few hallowed carpets we have left. Sure, maybe that rigidity compels some celebs and their stylists to want to break the rules. (These are actors, after all, and actors love to make a splash.) But as far as menswear goes, this is the night when dudes can and should wear a tux—and make it a killer one, at that. The brief is simple! Yet ever since the famous dudes started dressing for attention, they seem to have lost sight of the fundamentals in the process. Too much flash, not enough polish. (Maybe a more accurate omen for this year’s Oscars menswear would have been the Actor Awards a few weeks ago, which was also a rough showing.)
That said, there were also some winners on Sunday night’s red carpet—and our favourites are the ones who nailed the classic tux. Here are the 12 best-dressed men from the Academy Awards 2026, definitively ranked.
A fashion model looks great in a suit; a fork is found in a kitchen. But TikTok-famous model Calum Harper did look especially great in this particularly good tuxedo, which featured an asymmetrical closure, flared trousers, and floppy bowtie. The editorial gelled-down hair was a fun touch, too.
A masterclass in subtle tones and texture: The ice-blue shirt and inky velvet jacket add just enough offbeat flavor without veering into try-hard territory.
A crisp shawl collar with a little diamond-and-onyx bauble? We’re getting involved with that. The newly minted Oscar winner looked sharp in this LV look, and that Cartier Tank à Guichet didn’t hurt, either. His sickest accessory, though, was the guitar and treble clef braided (!) into his hair—a nod to Sinners’s blues roots. (Shoutout to his braider, Tyzanna B.)
You don’t see many three-piece tuxedos these days, but leave it to Jacob Elordi to make one look this good. (Making clothes look good is, admittedly, one of his particular talents.) But the real pièce de résistance for the Frankenstein nominee’s look are those freaky little lace-up Bottega Veneta “Zeno” shoes, which brought this old-school silhouette look squarely into the year 2026.
After showing out at the Grammys in a prototypical Ralph Lauren tux-jacket-and-jeans combo, Shaboozey further established himself as a red-carpet star to watch with this perfectly dialed update on traditional tails, courtesy of the rising Mexican label Campillo. Fancy, formal, and not the least bit costume drama-y.
Armani has always been an Oscars staple, of course—just last year, Adrien Brody claimed his second statuette in a sharp tux from the label—but Evans’s double-breasted number here feels especially indebted to the late Italian master’s ’90s heyday, back when he remade tailoring in his own languid, drapey image. Both the elongated 4x1 button stance and rounded metal-rim shades, in particular, helped accentuate the throwback movie-star aura.
These days, when a ruggedly handsome star is looking to project Old Hollywood vibes, he heads to Giuliva Heritage for some gigantic-lapelled, Neapolitan-tailored magic. That’s precisely the playbook Usher followed here, looking like he walked straight off the set of Casablanca in his Bogie-ish white dinner jacket and roomy black trousers.
The floppy ribbon bow tie trend lives on. The Hamnet actor nailed the slightly funky tux here in custom Valentino, thanks to a slightly flared pant and a boxy jacket, both of which lent the look some nice movement. The floral diamond brooch felt intentional, not like a glitzy afterthought. Well done.
Most years, and at most awards shows, Leo skips the red carpet altogether. But he was serious about throwing his weight behind One Battle After Another, and his efforts nabbed him a nomination tonight. He made the most of it by posing on the carpet in this nicely cut tux, and his Boucheron yellow-gold bumblebee pin provided some unexpected whimsy. Plus, that mustache!
Off the clock, of course, Mescal stays laced in a steady rotation of scruffy work jackets, cropped hoodies, and teensy rugby shorts. But when it comes to red carpets, the Hamnet star always looks best in outfits that lean coquettish and romantic, like the lace shirt he sported to the 2024 Governors Awards. His getup tonight, courtesy of Michael Rider’s sizzling Celine, had that energy in spades, thanks to a flirty crewneck-cardigan-esque jacket and a dainty ribbon bow.
A nice bit of synergy that the Sinners duo of Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan both wore Louis Vuitton on the Oscars red carpet. MBJ amped up his look—a militaristic jacket with gold-rimmed buttons and slim-legged trousers—with an especially swaggy wallet chain.
While he sadly missed out on his first-ever Oscar tonight, the 74-year-old Skarsgård still wins our award for most cohesive awards-season wardrobe. He capped off his months-long run of sublime wide-legged suiting with this exquisitely proportioned banger by Zegna.
Dove Cameron arrives to the Vanity Fair #Oscars party pic.twitter.com/STCYudmSeg
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026
Dua Lipa and Callum Turner pose together at the Vanity Fair #Oscars party pic.twitter.com/GJTIGHFydp
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026
Demi Moore arrives to the Vanity Fair #Oscars party pic.twitter.com/E7KjniKBn1
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026
Teyana Taylor stuns at the Vanity Fair #Oscar party pic.twitter.com/k28vtM1hUG
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026
Anya Taylor-Joy arrives to the Vanity Fair #Oscar party pic.twitter.com/uyZnkDZTis
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026
Elle and Dakota Fanning pose together at the Vanity Fair #Oscar party pic.twitter.com/OhfLB9slHb
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026
Tate McRae arrives to the Vanity Fair #Oscar party. pic.twitter.com/cbJBPbb1u0
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026
#NicoleKidman gushes about Tweety Bird on the #Oscars red carpet
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026
The CNN & Variety Red Carpet Afterparty is now live on the CNN app and YouTube pic.twitter.com/3ahTBYBUQk
Naomi Watts arrives to the Vanity Fair #Oscar party pic.twitter.com/FcCc4mdcdg
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026
Oscar-winner Michael B. Jordan says he “did a lot of chakra work” to differentiate the nuances between his #Sinners characters Smoke and Stack.
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026
“I tried to establish different perspectives,” Jordan said. “All these things I started to build up so that they could have a history… pic.twitter.com/gnjV3mYna4
Noah Wyle poses with his wife, Sara Wells, at the Vanity Fair #Oscars party. pic.twitter.com/42mhB4JJO9
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026
Sarah Pidgeon arrives to the Vanity Fair #Oscar party pic.twitter.com/xaOp7uSbzo
— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026