Conan O’Brien will be back at the helm in 2026. The Academy’s leadership announced on Monday that the comedian and former late-night TV host will be in charge of the 98th Academy Awards, scheduled for March 15.
O’Brien quipped in a statement that his sole motivation for hosting the Oscars next year is to finally hear the conclusion of Adrien Brody’s speech.
This year marked O’Brien’s debut as the show’s host, and it drew the largest audience in the past five years, despite the Best Picture winner, “Anora,” being a relatively small film. ABC reported that the 97th Academy Awards ceremony earlier this month had an estimated 19.7 million viewers, with significant growth among the 18-49 demographic, largely attributed to younger viewers watching on mobile devices and laptops. It also claimed the title of the most-watched prime-time entertainment program of 2025.
Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group, stated that Conan’s distinctive comedic approach perfectly suited the moment, and he is excited to have him back next year to deliver another unforgettable performance.
O’Brien will be supported by a familiar team next year, with returning as executive producers, alongside Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney as producers. and Academy President Janet Yang jointly stated that they are honored to collaborate once again with the team behind this year’s broadcast.
Kramer and Yang noted that this year’s team produced a visually spectacular and highly entertaining show that celebrated the nominees and the global film community in a beautiful and impactful way, and that Conan was the ideal host who guided the evening with humor, warmth, and reverence.
According to Oscars organizers, the show’s social media performance was also strong, surpassing both and . Notably, this year’s ceremony marked the first time the show was simultaneously streamed live on Hulu, which was .
The announcement of next year’s host and production teams comes unusually early, less than a month after this year’s Oscars, for both the film academy and ABC.
