Awards

Other winners include Inter Alia’s Rosamund Pike, Ivo van Hove for All My Sons and Hayley Atwell who beat her Much Ado co-star Tom Hiddleston to best Shakespearean performanceBrendan Gleeson has been named best actor at the Critics’ Circle theatre awards for his West End debut in Conor McPherson’s pub drama The Weir. He beat fellow nominees including Bryan Cranston and Paapa Essiedu, both recognised for All My Sons, and James Hameed and Arti Shah, the duo who together portray Paddington in the new musical about Michael Bond’s bear. The Weir, directed by McPherson, was entirely omitted from the nominations for this year’s Olivier awards and is being turned into a film with Gleeson and the rest of the West End cast.All My Sons, a critically adored production of Arthur Miller’s 1946 classic at Wyndham’s theatre, won in two categories at the Critics’ Circle awards: best revival of a play or musical and best director for Ivo van Hove. A new production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Into the Woods, directed by Jordan Fein at the Bridge theatre, also won two prizes – best designer (Tom Scutt) and the inaugural award for best ensemble or cast. Continue reading...

The Australian Institute of Architects’ judges sought to highlight a gentler approach to urban transformation,’ chair of the awards steering committee saysGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSydney’s Campbelltown has paved paradise and put up a parking lot. And the brave jury at the Australian Urban Design awards has declared it heavenly.The winners of the 2026 awards, announced on Tuesday at Parliament House in Canberra, suggest the era of the star architect’s singular, sculptural spectacle is being traded, at least this year, for something more pragmatic: an unassuming revolution where the most significant breakthroughs are found in natural, open-mesh ventilation, a splash of colour and a heart of soothing greenery. Continue reading...

• The National Science Foundation awarded $45 million over three years to the NSF Energy Storage Engine, led by Binghamton University, entering its second phase on March 24, 2026. • The Upstate New York initiative, partnering with Cornell, RIT, Syracuse, and others, aims to make the region America's battery tech capital. • Phase one funded over 15 battery startups, securing $20 million in follow-on funding and national awards like Battery Manufacturer of the Year.

• The US Army announced a major enterprise agreement with Anduril, consolidating 120-130 prior orders into a 5-10 year contract worth up to $20 billion for AI drones and detection systems. • The deal shifts Pentagon strategy from pilot programs to long-term fixed-price contracts with select defense tech startups, with an initial $87 million task order issued. • This establishes a benchmark for venture-funded firms, amid tensions with AI companies like Anthropic restricting military use of their models.

Jonathan Horn scooped best sports feature prize for a series on AFL, while Chris Hopkins won for pictures of a cancer sufferer caring for her son Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSports writer Jonathan Horn and photographer Chris Hopkins have won Melbourne Press Club awards for their work for Guardian Australia.Guardian Australia was recognised with eight nominations in a range of categories in the 31st annual Quill awards, which were presented in Melbourne on Friday night. Continue reading...

• The 98th Oscars averaged 17.86 million viewers, down 9% from 19.69 million last year, marking the lowest since 2022 per Nielsen. • Grammys drew 14.41 million viewers, down 6% from 15.4 million, while Golden Globes had 8.66 million, also down 6% from 9.27 million. • ABC promotions during the show generated $24.2 million in media value, heavily featuring Disney+ with 12 airings worth $14 million.

• Michael B. Jordan won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as twins Smoke and Stack in "Sinners," competing against Timothée Chalamet and other nominees in a hotly contested category. • In his emotional acceptance speech, Jordan acknowledged Black actors who won Oscars before him, including Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Will Smith, stating "I stand here because of the people that came before me." • "Sinners" had a successful night at the 98th Oscars, bringing home four total Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score.

• "One Battle After Another" claimed the Oscar for best picture at the 98th Academy Awards held on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, winning six total Oscars out of 13 nominations. • Producer Sara Murphy and director Paul Thomas Anderson accepted the award, with Murphy expressing gratitude for the filmmaking experience and Anderson closing the ceremony by inviting the audience to have a martini. • The film defeated nine other nominees including "Bugonia," "F1," "Frankenstein," "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme," "The Secret Agent," "Sentimental Value," "Sinners" and "Train Dreams."