Conan O’Brien looks ready for his Oscars hosting debut
Host Conan O’Brien arrives at the Oscars red carpet, ready to deliver laughs at Hollywood’s glitziest celebration!
Entertain This!
Conan O’Brien is no one-and-done Oscars host.
The irreverent former late-night host will make a repeat performance as host of the 98th Academy Awards in March 2026, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Monday. O’Brien, 61, said he has unfinished business from the last ceremony, in a release announcing his return.
“The only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech,” said O’Brien, ribbing Brody’s record-breaking speech after winning the best actor Oscar for “The Brutalist.”
Brody might still be dealing with the jokes about his self-indulgent oration (that went 5 minutes and 37 seconds), but O’Brien was an undisputed hit at the March 2 Oscars. His opening monologue, which was light on politics and A-list star barbs, earned laughs and O’Brien hit all the right notes, keeping the nearly four-hour show moving through the night.
The 97th Oscars attracted 19.69 million viewers — a five-year high — on ABC and streaming for the first time on Hulu (which had big tech glitches).
O’Brien will bring back his “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast crew. Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney will return as Oscars producers, Academy President Janet Yang announced. The Academy Awards executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will return for the third consecutive year, Academy CEO Bill Kramer announced.
“Conan was the perfect host — skillfully guiding us through the evening with humor, warmth and reverence,” Yang and Kramer said jointly in the AMPAS release. “They produced a hugely entertaining and visually stunning show that celebrated our nominees and the global film community in the most beautiful and impactful way.”
When are the Oscars next year?
The 98th Oscars will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 15 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Plug it into your Google calendar.
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