Best Supporting Actress Oscar 2026: Amy Madigan Wins for Weapons at 98th Academy Awards
The Best Supporting Actress Oscar at the 98th Academy Awards tonight went to Amy Madigan for her villainous role as Aunt Gladys in the Warner Bros. horror thriller Weapons — the very first award of the evening, presented right after host Conan O'Brien's opening monologue.
The Winner and the Full Nominees List
The five nominees for Best Supporting Actress at the 2026 Oscars were Elle Fanning for Sentimental Value, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for Sentimental Value, Amy Madigan for Weapons, Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners, and Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another.
Amy Madigan won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Aunt Gladys in Weapons — her first career Academy Award win. The 75-year-old had previously been nominated in this same category for 1986's Twice in a Lifetime, making this a 40-year gap between nominations.
The Race Before Tonight — A Three-Way Battle
The Best Supporting Actress race was closely contested heading into tonight. Multiple women emerged as legitimate contenders, with Madigan beating out two dark horses in Teyana Taylor and Wunmi Mosaku.
Madigan gained awards season momentum by winning at the Critics Choice Awards and the SAG Actor Awards, with Sinners and One Battle After Another brawling at trophy shows throughout the season.
The Five Nominees: Their Films and Performances
Amy Madigan — Weapons played Aunt Gladys, described as a creepy and diabolical late-appearing character whose arrival detonates the film's final act. The performance lasted only about 14 minutes on screen.
Wunmi Mosaku — Sinners was part of Ryan Coogler's record-setting film that received 16 Oscar nominations — the most in Oscar history — and went into tonight as the ceremony's frontrunner across the board.
Teyana Taylor — One Battle After Another competed for Paul Thomas Anderson's action film, which earned 13 nominations including Best Picture, making Taylor a serious contender after winning the Golden Globe in the category.
Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas — Sentimental Value represented a rare double nomination from the same film, with Norway's Sentimental Value considered one of the best-reviewed movies of 2025.
Amy Madigan's Acceptance Speech Moment
Madigan ended her list of thank-yous by shouting out her husband of more than four decades, Ed Harris: "The most important is my beloved Ed, who's been with me forever — and none of this would mean anything if he wasn't by my side." The crowd erupted in applause as she closed: "So, thank you very much. I'm very overwhelmed."
The Best Supporting Actress Oscar for 2026 goes in the history books alongside one of the most remarkable comeback stories in Academy Awards history — 40 years in the making.
