Canadian talent had a big night at the Oscars with major wins

Canada, here’s something to celebrate. It was a big night for Canadian talent at the 2026 Oscars ceremony, with several winners taking home Academy Awards.

The 98th annual Academy Awards took place on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. It was the second year in a row that comedian Conan O’Brien hosted the show.

There’s no denying that it was a memorable and historic evening – Michael B. Jordan won his first Academy Award for Best Actor in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, along with Autumn Durald Arkapaw, who became the first woman and Black cinematographer to win the Best Cinematography award.

While we saw major milestones and memorable moments from across the global film industry, Canadian talent also had a standout night.

Canadian Oscar winners

Canadian creatives took home awards in best production design, animated feature, animated short film, and makeup and hairstyling.

Montreal filmmakers Maciek Szczerbowski and Chris Lavis won for best animated short for the National Film Board of Canada production The Girl Who Cried Pearls.

“This award is a tribute to all the artists who shared this labour with us,” says Lavis and Szczerbowski via NFBC.

“They are not just names in the credits; they are our community, and their extraordinary talent and hard work made this possible. Statue or no statue, the support we’ve gotten from friends and family these past weeks has been overwhelming. We can’t express how meaningful it’s been. Now we may finally get a free beer from our local pub.”

This is the duo’s first win, following their first Oscar nomination in 2007 for Madame Tutli-Putli.

The Canadian pride doesn’t end there. Korean-Canadian Maggie Kang also took home an award for Best Animated Feature thanks to KPop Demon Hunters, which she co-wrote and co-directed.

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein won the Oscar for best makeup and hairstyling. The team included two Canadian talents, Toronto-based Cliona Furey and Jordan Samuel, who accepted their awards on stage.

And the flick also saw another win: production designer Tamara Deverell and set decorator Shane Vieau won the Oscar for best production design.

Canadian talent once again left their mark on Hollywood’s biggest night. Congratulations to all the winners!

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