One Battle After Another wins top cinematography prize at ASC Awards

Michael Bauman's work on the film sets him up as the frontrunner for the Oscar next week.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The American Society of Cinematographers has awarded its top prize for theatrical feature film to Michael Bauman for his work on "One Battle After Another". This victory puts Bauman in a strong position to win the Academy Award for Best Cinematography next week, as the ASC and Oscar lineups have matched for that category six out of the last 10 years. The cinematography race has been considered tight, with Bauman also winning the BAFTA, Adolpho Veloso taking the Spirit Award for "Train Dreams", and Autumn Durald Arkapaw dominating the critics' awards circuit for "Sinners". The other nominees included Dan Laustsen for "Frankenstein" and Darius Khondji for "Marty Supreme", who are also Oscar nominees.

Why it matters

The ASC Award is seen as a strong predictor of the eventual Oscar winner for Best Cinematography, as the two voting bodies have aligned on the winner six out of the last 10 years. This victory for Michael Bauman on "One Battle After Another" makes him the frontrunner heading into the Oscars, though Autumn Durald Arkapaw for "Sinners" and the other nominees remain in contention.

The details

Bauman's win at the ASC Awards sets him up as the favorite to take home the Oscar for Best Cinematography next week. The cinematography race has been considered very close, with Bauman also winning the BAFTA, Adolpho Veloso taking the Spirit Award for "Train Dreams", and Autumn Durald Arkapaw dominating the critics' awards circuit for "Sinners". The other nominees included Dan Laustsen for "Frankenstein" and Darius Khondji for "Marty Supreme", who are also Oscar nominees.

  • The ASC Awards ceremony was held on March 9, 2026.
  • The Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for next week.

The players

Michael Bauman

The cinematographer who won the ASC Award for his work on the film "One Battle After Another".

Autumn Durald Arkapaw

The cinematographer for the film "Sinners", who has dominated the critics' awards circuit and is also an Oscar nominee.

Adolpho Veloso

The cinematographer for the film "Train Dreams", who won the Spirit Award.

Dan Laustsen

The cinematographer for the film "Frankenstein", who is also an Oscar nominee.

Darius Khondji

The cinematographer for the film "Marty Supreme", who is also an Oscar nominee.

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What’s next

The Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for next week, where Michael Bauman will be the frontrunner to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography for his work on "One Battle After Another".

The takeaway

The ASC Award for Michael Bauman on "One Battle After Another" highlights the close and competitive nature of the cinematography race this year, with several strong contenders vying for the Oscar. Bauman's victory sets him up as the favorite, but the other nominees, particularly Autumn Durald Arkapaw for "Sinners", remain in the hunt for the Academy Award.