The Year Of Michael B Jordan

An awards season full of twists, upsets, and shifting narratives culminated in a night that defied early predictions. While Paul Thomas Anderson finally claimed long-awaited Oscar glory with One Battle After Another, the Best Actor race delivered the biggest surprise, as momentum, controversy, and changing perceptions reshaped the field.

And so ended what seemed liked the longest awards season, during which some films and especially actors had their fortunes go through a roller coaster ride.

Paul Thomas Anderson's critically appreciated One Battle After Another won big at the Academy Awards on Sunday night with six trophies shared for the film, director, his adapted screenplay, editing and the new award for casting.

Ryan Coogler's Sinners Lost To Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another

Additionally, One Battle After Another received four acting nominations, including one for its lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Finally only one actor -- Sean Penn -- won the Best Supporting Actor trophy. Penn was not there to receive the award. This is Penn's third Oscar. The other two for his Best Actor performances in Mystic River (2003) and Milk (2008), and this award, place him in the company of three-time Oscar winners Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson and Frances McDormand.

OBAA opened in US theatres end of September 2025. And immediately after it was unofficially crowned as the Best Picture of the year, even when Ryan Coogler's Sinners had made $370 million globally and was until then the darling of critics and audiences. OBAA made $200 million worldwide, but because of the high cost to produce the film it was written off as a box office failure.

Paul Thomas Anderson has a very different love affair with film buffs, critics and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members. He has directed 10 films (including OBAA), but never won an Oscar -- for Best Picture, Best Director or even for a screenplay. This time it was certain he would win -- not one, but at least two Oscars. He actually won three, including one for the Best Adapted Screenplay.

Last year Chalamet lost the Best Actor race to Adrien Brody

There was also a strong belief that DiCaprio would win his second Oscar in the Best Actor category. It is hard to believe that the hugely talented and popular DiCaprio has only won one Oscar -- for Alejandro Iñárritu's The Revenant (2016).

Last fall as one new film after another opened in theaters, there was one factor of uncertainty. Few people had seen Josh Safdie's Marty Supreme, but the buzz was strong, partly fueled by intense campaigning by Timothée Chalamet. And so when Marty Supreme opened on Christmas Day 2025, a lot of people began to speculate that Chalamet could possibly win the best actor trophy.

Or definitely it was a two-person race between Chalamet and DiCaprio, with some observers sensing that the Brazilian actor Wagner Mouro (The Secret Agent) had a good chance of coming from behind and overtaking the two Hollywood stars.

Last year Chalamet lost the Best Actor race to Adrien Brody. The Academy voters preferred Brody's take of a Hungarian Jewish immigrant to the US in The Brutalist over Chalamet's interpretation of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. And he was determined to win this year.

Two earthquakes shattered Chalamet's chances

But a few earthquakes were about to take place.

While Chalamet was promoting (some would say over-promoting) his film and performance, a story broke out in a tabloid in California that accused the filmmaker brothers Josh and Bennie Safdie of knowing about a #MeToo like situation involving an underage girl on the sets of their 2017 film Good Time. The two co-directed that film. The brothers reportedly had a falling out after that one ugly incident.

How much of that story impacted Marty Supreme can be debated. Despite receiving nine Oscar nominations, the film did not win a single trophy on Sunday night.

Chalamet's much discussed rather immature comments against ballet and opera as art forms did not help his case, although that news item broke out in a big way after the Oscar voting closed earlier this month. And he was brash and over-confident, so sure of winning the Best Actor Oscar race especially after being recognised by Critics Choice and the Golden Globes. It may have turned off some of the older Academy members.

But then two more earthquakes shattered Chalamet's chances. First on February 23 the BAFTAs honored a young British actor Robert Aramayo (I Swear) in the Best Leading Actor category. Aramayo secured enough votes over his fellow nominees, Chalamet, DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke, Michael B Jordan and Jesse Plemons.

'Thank you for welcoming me in and making me feel seen'

And then on March 1 the Actor Awards (formerly known as the SAG Awards) gave the Best Male Actor trophy to Jordan for playing twin brothers in Sinners. Chalamet had won the Actor Award last year for A Complete Unknown. Sinners also won the Best Cast in a Motion Picture award -- equivalent of the Best Picture Oscar.

Suddenly Chalamet did not seem invincible and even OBAA seemed to be on shaky ground. And just at that time the Oscar voting started.

Chalamet's cocky behaviour was contrasted with Jordan's humbleness. In his acceptance speech at the Actor Awards he spoke directly to his mother thanking her for the time she would drive him from Newark, New Jersey, into Manhattan, to go to auditions. They would take the Holland Tunnel. The family was so broke that Jordan's mother didn't have enough money to pay for the tunnel toll or for parking in Manhattan.

'I am so honored and privileged to be nominated in categories with people and actors and humans that I love,' Jordan said. 'And I love their work and what they contribute to our craft and this rise has been unbelievable. So, thank you for welcoming me in and making me feel seen.'

Last fall no one would have guessed how things would shape out so differently. At that time no one was even talking about Jordan's chances, but this Sunday after a roller coaster ride the terrific actor managed to win the Best Actor Oscar.

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff