Almost 30 years after Boogie Nights launched his career and earned him his first Oscar nomination, Paul Thomas Anderson has finally taken home the little golden man.
Anderson won the best adapted screenplay Oscar at the 2026 Oscars for One Battle After Another for the film inspired by the works of novelist Thomas Pynchon.
“I’m incredibly honored to be a part of this history,” Anderson said onstage. He also expressed the “huge debt of admiration” to novelist Pynchon.
After thanking his loved ones, Anderson said of the film, “I wrote this movie for my kids to say sorry for the housekeeping mess that we left in this world we’re handing off to them. But also, with encouragement that they will be the generation that hopefully brings us some common sense and decency.”
Anderson has received 14 nominations throughout his career, including three for One Battle. (He competes for director and best picture as a producer). His first ever nom came for original screenplay for Boogie Nights. Other writing noms he’s received over the years include for Licorice Pizza, Inherit Vice, There Will Be Blood and Magnolia.
One Battle stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Teyana Taylor as revolutonaries who along the way become parents to a daughter, Willa (Chase Infinity). Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro also have noteworthy roles, with both nominated for supporting actor.
The other nominees in the adapted screenplay category this year were the writers behind Bugonia (Will Tracy), Frankenstein Guillermo del Toro), Hamnet Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell and Train Dreams (Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar).
The 98th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, were held on Sunday at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. Find the full list of winners here, and check out the red carpet arrivals.
English (US) ·