Who is hosting the 2026 Oscars?

WASHINGTON — The 98th Academy Awards will have a familiar face presiding over the festivities. 

Conan O’Brien is returning to the Oscars stage for 2026. 

The late-night host and comedian hosted the 2025 show, and it was announced less than a month later that he would be back for the next edition. The timing of the announcement was unusually early for the film academy and ABC.

At the time, O’Brien joked that “the only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech.

Ahead of Academy Award nominations on Thursday, O’Brien told ABC News they “have a lot of possibilities” for the 2026 show.

While he wouldn’t reveal much about the plans, O’Brien said audiences can expect “a lot of magic” 

“There’ll be some explosions, CGI will be used. I see this second Oscars as an opportunity to take things up a notch,” he said.

Last year, was O’Brien’s first time leading the show, which attracted its biggest broadcast audience in five years despite the winning movie, “Anora,” being relatively small. An estimated 19.7 million viewers watched the 97th Academy Awards ceremony, according to ABC, with a big lift among people aged 18 to 49, driven by mobile and laptop watches from younger viewers.

The Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 15, 2026.

The ceremony will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will air live on ABC, with the broadcast reaching audiences in more than 200 territories worldwide.

This year’s ceremony will honor achievements across 24 categories, with most categories featuring five nominees. Best Picture remains the exception, with up to 10 films competing for the top prize.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.