Sean Penn has won a third Oscar, but was not present at the ceremony to collect his prize.
He won the best supporting actor gong for his turn as racist military man Colonel Lockjaw in One Battle After Another.
He defeated his co-star Benicio del Toro, Sinners star Delroy Lindo, Sentimental Value’s Stellan Skarsgard and Frankenstein’s Jacob Elordi, but was not at the event in Los Angeles to receive the accolade.
Penn has previously won Oscars for his performances in Mystic River and Milk.
Kieran Culkin, who won the category last year for A Real Pain, announced Penn’s victory and said: “Sean Penn couldn’t be here tonight, or didn’t want to, so I will take this for him.”
Penn was also absent from the Baftas and the Actor Awards, where he was also triumphant. He did attend the Golden Globes, where he was defeated by Skarsgard in the category.
Amy Madigan won the first Oscar of the 2026 ceremony and paid tribute to her husband Ed Harris as she collected her gong.
The Field Of Dreams star collected the prize for her terrifying turn as Aunt Gladys in the horror film Weapons.
Referring to her husband of more than 40 years, she said: “The most important is my beloved Ed who’s been with me forever, and that’s a long-ass time, and none of this would mean anything if he wasn’t by my side.
She added: “Thank you, I’m very overwhelmed.”
Ryan Coogler won the best original screenplay Oscar for his vampire film Sinners, while Paul Thomas Anderson won the best adapted screenplay for One Battle After Another.
There was a dramatic moment when there was a tie in the live action short category, which was won by both Two People Exchanging Saliva and The Singers.
After the winners left the stage, host Conan O’Brien congratulated them and said: “You just ruined 22 million Oscar pools.”
It is the first time since 2013 there have been tied winners, when Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty shard the sound editing award.
Comedian O’Brien, who is hosting the ceremony for the second year in a row, opened the ceremony with an extended sketch dressed as Aunt Gladys, getting chased by children through scenes from the films nominated for best picture.
Dressed in a red wig with heavy white make up, like the antagonist from the film, he could be seen playing table tennis with Timothee Chalamet in Marty Supreme, running across the stage of the Globe in Hamnet, in the car with Benicio del Toro in One Battle After Another and trying to get into the juke joint in Sinners.
He also made reference to the turbulent situation in the world at the moment, when he said: “Last year when I hosted, Los Angeles was on fire. This year, everything is going great.”
He also took a swipe at Timothee Chalamet’s recent comment that “nobody cares” about opera and ballet, when he joked: “I should tell you, security is tight tonight, I’m told there are concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities.”
O’Brien pointed out it was the first time since 2012 there were no British lead acting nominees, and added: “A British spokesperson said ‘Yeah, at least we arrest our paedophiles’.”
O’Brien also acknowledged that these are “chaotic, frightening times,” adding: “It’s at moments like these that I believe the Oscars are particularly resonant.”
Referring to the number of countries and continents represented, he said the nominated films are “the product of thousands of people speaking different languages working hard to produce something of beauty”.
He added they show “global artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience and that rarest of qualities, optimism.”
Box office hit KPop Demon Hunters won the best animated film prize, while Frankenstein won the Oscar for best costume design, as well as the Oscar for make up and hair styling.
