By: Markos Papadatos
Editor's Note: Our Senior Contributor Markos Papadatos was in the press room at the 2026 Oscars. Here's what he heard from Amy Madigan, winner of this year's Oscar for "Best Supporting Actress" Autumn Durald Arkapaw of "Sinners," Kate Hawley of "Frankenstein," and Andy Jurgensen for "One Battle After Another."
Amy Madigan: Winner of Best Supporting Actress
Amy Madigan set a new record for an actress with the longest gap between a first nomination and a first victory at the Oscars — her 2026 win is 40 years and 1 month after her first Oscar nomination, which she received for “Twice In A Lifetime” at the 58th Academy Awards.
The previous record holder amongst actresses was Geraldine Page who won for “The Trip To Bountiful” at the 1986 Oscars 32 years and one month after her first nomination for “Hondo” at the 1954 Oscars.
On winning for her portrayal of Gladys in "Weapons," Madigan said, "I loved the script. As soon as I read it, I knew this woman. I knew a lot about her. I just knew that I could grab it by the throat. She is someone that is just pushed to the limit. She is just fighting for survival. I think a lot of people relate to that."
"I always like to ask people, 'What is it about Gladys that you like?' She is inspiring in a strange way. Zach Cregger was our writer and director. We worked together, and he told me just "Do it. Go for it." I guess it worked out."
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| Amy Madigan posing with her Oscar. Photo Credit: Etienne Laurent, The Academy |
Autumn Durald Arkapaw (who won for “Sinners”) became the first woman to ever win in the “Best Cinematography” Oscar category as well as the first black cinematographer to ever win.
For young filmmakers, especially women who are watching this moment, she wanted them to get the following out of her journey: “I've always thought, I heard Karen O say it once at a concert, and she's such a badass and I really love her. She said, ‘You have to see you to be you’.”
“Ryan [Coogler] gives — the women on this film that are heads of a department — those opportunities to shine and be ourselves, and work in a creative environment where we are leading, we are strong, and we have power. He trusts us,” she explained.
“That's a very important thing, and it doesn't happen very often,” she admitted. So, Ryan opened those doors. I'm very good friends with Rachel Morrison, and she recommended me when she was unavailable. I knew that if this was going to happen, it was going to happen with someone like him.”
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| Autumn Durald Arkapaw Courtesy Facebook |
Kate Hawley was the 2026 Academy Award winner for "Best Achievement in Costume Design" for her stellar work in "Frankenstein."
On reuniting with Guillermo del Toro to going on the “Frankenstein” journey to standing on the Oscar podium, Hawley remarked, “I think it's representative, in some ways, a lot of many years of work, but also in the current world that we are in. Guillermo is a big champion of the art and of craft.”
“So, we're all very aware during this journey how important that was to us. You know, he said that he wanted to challenge us all, and it really did,” she admitted.
“We thrive when we're challenged, and it's like catnip,” she said. “To be standing here and being able to work on this with Guillermo means everything, really. I count myself very, very lucky.”
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| Kate Hawley, Courtesy LinkedIn |
Andy Jurgensen won the Oscar for Best Achievement in Film Editing for "One Battle After Another"
On working with Paul Thomas Anderson, Jurgensen stated, "It's amazing. I first started working with Paul 12 years ago on 'Inherent Vice.' I was brought on as an assistant editor on that movie, and I guess I proved myself. He just gave me little things to do like little music videos, which then kind of evolved to this little documentary that he did. He asked me to be the associate editor on 'Phantom Thread.' So, he just kind of kept me around."
"When you work with a director, you're figuring out their sensibilities, right? And your working relationship. He has just been such a mentor to me and just taught me so much about storytelling. I was just thrilled when he asked me to cut 'Licorice Pizza' and then asked me to do this. So, I'm very grateful to him," Jurgensen expressed.
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| Andy Jurgensen, Courtesy Instagram |