The 2026 Oscar gala remembered stars who passed away this year, such as Robert Redford and filmmaker Rob Reiner, who was murdered in December, as well as actress Diane Keaton. However, it forgot other artists who also died, including Eric Dane, James Van Der Beek, Gene Hackman, and Brigitte Bardot. Although some appear on the website of the Hollywood Academy as part of the list of deceased, no mention was made of any of them during the gala, a fact that surprised some media outlets, including Variety, as well as ceremony viewers on social media. The gala paid a moving tribute to Reiner and Redford, to whom Barbra Streisand dedicated heartfelt words—he was her friend—and sang a snippet of the Oscar-winning song 'The Way We Were' from the film of the same title in which they shared the screen. Comedian Billy Crystal was tasked with honoring Reiner's memory, describing him as one of Hollywood's most influential figures and highlighting his activism. Along with Van Der Beek, Eric Dane, and Bardot, the ceremony also failed to mention Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Robert Carradine, June Lockhart, or Bud Cort, all of whom passed away in the last year. The drama-comedy 'One Battle After Another' was the big winner of the 98th Academy Awards, which recognized the talent of its director, Paul Thomas Anderson, one of Hollywood's most prestigious but less awarded by the academy. Anderson's film took home six Oscars, compared to four for the top favorite, 'Sinners' by Ryan Coogler, who arrived at the gala with the record for the most nominations in the history of the awards, with 16 candidates. In the international category, 'Sentimental Value' defeated the Spanish 'Sirat' and the Brazilian 'O Agente Secreto'.
