
For The Culture
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Did the Oscars Get It Right?
Awards season is officially over, and One Battle After Another had the last word. Paul Thomas Anderson's film dominated the 98th Academy Awards with six wins, including Best Picture and Best Director, while Sinners took home four, headlined by Michael B. Jordan's historic Best Actor win, only the seventh time a Black man has won in that category.
The supporting categories had their own moments: Amy Madigan took Best Supporting Actress for Weapons, a genuine win for horror, and Sean Penn claimed Best Supporting Actor for One Battle After Another, his third Oscar, putting him in extraordinarily rare company. Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for Hamnet, as expected, delivering on every bit of the hype.
The night had its share of history beyond the acting prizes. Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win Best Cinematography, and "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters became the first K-pop song to win Best Original Song. Conan O'Brien hosted and, for the most part, nailed it.
Did the Academy get it right? Mostly. Sinners deserved more. But that's awards season for you.

H. Alan Scott is Newsweek’s Senior Editor for Entertainment, host of the celebrity interview podcast ‘The Parting Shot’, and author of the entertainment newsletter For The Culture. Follow H. Alan Scott on Twitter and Instagram at @HAlanScott.
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