The timing of the announcement of subsequent yr’s internet hosting and producing groups — lower than a month after this yr’s Oscars — is unusually early.
LOS ANGELES — Conan O’Brien is returning to the Oscars stage in 2026. The late-night host and comic will preside over the 98th Academy Awards, set for March 15, the movie academy’s management mentioned Monday.
“The one cause I’m internet hosting the Oscars subsequent yr is that I wish to hear Adrien Brody end his speech,” O’Brien mentioned in a press release.
This yr was O’Brien’s first time main the present, which attracted its greatest broadcast viewers in 5 years regardless of the profitable film, “Anora,” being comparatively small. An estimated 19.7 million viewers watched the 97th Academy Awards ceremony earlier this month, in line with broadcaster ABC, with an enormous raise amongst individuals aged 18 to 49, pushed by cell and laptop computer watches from youthful viewers. It was additionally essentially the most watched prime-time leisure present of 2025.
“Conan’s distinctive comedic fashion completely captured the second, and I’m excited to have his abilities again onstage subsequent yr to helm one other indelible efficiency,” mentioned Craig Erwich, the president of Disney Tv Group, in a press release.
Subsequent yr O’Brien may even be surrounded by a well-recognized crew, with Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan returning as government producers of the present and Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney as producers. Academy CEO Invoice Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang mentioned in a joint assertion that it’s an honor to be working once more with the group behind this yr’s broadcast.
“This yr, they produced a vastly entertaining and visually gorgeous present that celebrated our nominees and the worldwide movie group in essentially the most lovely and impactful method,” Kramer and Yang mentioned. “Conan was the right host — skillfully guiding us by way of the night with humor, heat and reverence.”
The present additionally succeeded in social media metrics, outperforming each the Grammy Awards and the Tremendous Bowl, in line with Oscars organizers. This was the primary time that the present was streamed dwell concurrently on Hulu, which was not with out its glitches.
The timing of the announcement of subsequent yr’s internet hosting and producing groups — lower than a month after this yr’s Oscars — is unusually early for the movie academy and ABC.
