Oscars 2026: Everything to know about the 98th Academy Awards
On Sunday, March 15, the 98th Academy Awards will celebrate everything from the year's best acting and best directing to the top films from the past year, including "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme," "Sinners" and more.
Just days before the show, this year's host Conan O'Brien kicked off the Oscars festivities by officially rolling out the 2026 red carpet.
The comedian and television host wore a denim jumpsuit for the occasion and was all smiles as he posed for photos.
"I am very excited," O'Brien told reporters. "We've been working hard with my writers, I've got great writers, we've got a bunch of ideas. Some things are a little more ambitious than last year -- we'll see how it goes."
Ahead of Hollywood's biggest night, here is everything you need to know, from who is nominated to who is presenting and how to watch.
When are the 2026 Oscars?
The 98th Oscars will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026, starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Here in the borderland, you can watch on KVIA ABC-7 at 5 p.m. MDT or stream it on Hulu.
Who is hosting?
Conan O'Brien is hosting this year's ceremony for the second year in a row.
In an interview that aired on "Good Morning America" on March 12, the comedian described preparing for the show as a "running battle" right until he takes the stage.
"I'm chill, because we've been working really hard. We have a lot of fun ideas," O'Brien told ABC News' Lara Spencer. "It doesn't mean a million things won't go wrong or sideways between now and the actual show, but that can be a challenge too."
Who is presenting?
Last year's Oscar winners Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin, Mikey Madison and Zoe Saldaña will return to the Oscars stage as presenters this year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced last month.
Joining last year's winners as presenters are Rose Byrne, Nicole Kidman, Jimmy Kimmel, Delroy Lindo, Ewan McGregor, Wagner Moura, Pedro Pascal, Bill Pullman, Lewis Pullman, Channing Tatum, and Sigourney Weaver, executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan announced Wednesday.
Other previously announced presenters include Will Arnett, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Hathaway, Paul Mescal and Gwyneth Paltrow, Javier Bardem, Chris Evans, Chase Infiniti, Demi Moore, Kumail Nanjiani and Maya Rudolph.
Who is this year's Oscars announcer?
Matt Berry will serve as the announcer for this year's show.
Who is performing?
Performers at this year's ceremony include Josh Groban, Misty Copeland, Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq as well as "Golden" singers Kim Eun-jae (EJAE), Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami.
Who is nominated?
2026 Oscar nominations were revealed in January.
"Sinners" reigned supreme, breaking the record for the most Oscar nominations ever, a title previously held by "Titanic," "La La Land" and "All About Eve," with 14 nominations apiece.
Close behind in this year's nominees pool were "One Battle After Another" with 13 nominations and "Marty Supreme," "Frankenstein," and "Sentimental Value" with nine nominations each. "Hamnet" is also up for eight nominations.
See the full list of nominees here.
Who was snubbed?
Following the Oscars nominations announcement on Jan. 22, ABC News' Chris Connelly and Kelley Carter broke down the biggest snubs and surprises.
Notable names they mentioned that were left off the list included Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for their roles in "Wicked: For Good" and Adam Sandler for his role in "Jay Kelly" opposite George Clooney, who was also left off the nominations list.
Is there a new category?
This year, the Oscars will debut a new category: achievement in casting.
The new category was announced in 2024 and films from 2025 were eligible for the award.
Casting directors who are nominated this year include Nina Gold for "Hamnet," Jennifer Venditti for "Marty Supreme," Cassandra Kulukundis for "One Battle After Another," Gabriel Domingues for "The Secret Agent" and Francine Maisler for "Sinners."
What can audiences expect to see on Oscars Sunday?
Leading up to the Academy Awards, the Oscars Creative Team came together on Wednesday to discuss this year's theme: "humanity."
"Everything is inspired by human touch," Kapoor said.
Music director Michael Bearden added, “We are celebrating human touch, human connection, and actual intelligence, not artificial intelligence.”
Producers also announced that there will be a few reunions, including a reunion of the "Bridesmaids" cast, a Marvel reunion and also an "extraterrestrial" surprise on stage.
What are some potential history-making wins to watch?
All eyes are on several Oscar nominees, who may have the opportunity to be firsts in ways that the world of cinema has never seen before.
With "Sinners" breaking the record for the most Oscar nominations ever, it may also break the record for most wins by any single movie in Academy Awards history on Sunday night. The film's cinematographer, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, may also be the first woman to win best cinematography, and costume designer Ruth E. Carter could become the first Black three-time Oscar winner.
Read more about some potential history-making wins here.
How to watch all the best picture-nominated films
See our go-to guide for watching all the year's top projects here.
Who won last year?
At the 97th Academy Awards in 2025, "Anora" took home the coveted trophy for best picture. It won five awards, including best director for Sean Baker and best actress for Mikey Madison.
Relive all the top moments from the 97th Oscars here.
ABC News' Mason Leib contributed to this report.
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