The 40-year span between Amy Madigan's first nomination, for her supporting role in Twice in a Lifetime (1985), and her recent, for Weapons, set the record for the longest gap between Oscar nominations for an actress.[32]Ruth E. Carter became the most-nominated Black woman, across any category, with her fifth nomination for Best Costume Design.[33]Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the fourth woman and the first woman of color nominated for Best Cinematography,[34] and the first woman and first Black person to win the award.[35]Chloé Zhao became the second woman, following Jane Campion, and the first woman of color to be nominated for Best Director twice, as well as the first woman who previously won.[22] With nine nominations for Best Picture, Dede Gardner became the most-nominated female producer, breaking her tie with Kathleen Kennedy.[22]
The Academy held its 16th annual Governors Awards ceremony on November 16, 2025, during which the following awards were presented:[11]
Academy Honorary Awards
Debbie Allen–"A trailblazing choreographer and actor, whose work has captivated generations and crossed genres".[44]
Tom Cruise–For his "incredible commitment to [the] filmmaking community, to the theatrical experience, and to the stunts community".[44]
Wynn Thomas–"Production designer [who] has brought some of the most enduring films to life through a visionary eye and mastery of his craft".[44]
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
Dolly Parton–A "beloved performer [who] exemplifies the spirit of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award through her unwavering dedication to charitable efforts".[44]
The 98th Academy Awards marked the first iteration of the Oscars in which voting was conducted with an enforced rule ensuring that all members must view every nominated film in each category before voting in the final round, or otherwise abstain their vote from a category in which they have not done so.[51]
In March 2025, the Academy hired television producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan, for the third year in a row, to oversee production of the 2026 ceremony, with comedian and former talk show host Conan O'Brien as host of the event for the second consecutive year. Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney, long-time collaborators of O'Brien, would also return as producers for a second time; Sweeney would also serve as a writer.[4] "We are thrilled to bring back Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff, and Mike for the 98th Oscars," stated AMPAS CEO Bill Kramer and then-AMPAS President Janet Yang in a press release. "[Last] year, 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. Conan was the perfect host — skillfully guiding us through the evening with humor, warmth and reverence. It is an honor to be working with them again."[4] In response, Kapoor and Mullan stated in a press release, "We are both so honored to be returning in our roles for the 98th Oscars. We can't wait to work with Conan and his entire team as we continue to explore even more special and heartfelt opportunities to celebrate next year's nominees and the impact of film around the world."[4]
At a press conference leading up to the ceremony, O'Brien discussed his position and duties as host, stating, "It's not just about being funny in the moment-to-moment, it's also about acknowledging what this is about in the larger sense," adding, "As the host [...] I'm the entryway for the person watching at home and the person that the audience members can relate to."[52] Questioned on whether he would be addressing and poking fun at the American political climate, regarding President Donald Trump and the second Trump administration, O'Brien stated, "Hosting this show is a very thin line. We're celebrating movies and the amazing people behind them, but it has to be funny without tipping into anger or politics."[53] O'Brien would ultimately go on to make thinly-veiled references to Trump during the ceremony, notably regarding the renaming of the Kennedy Center and the lack of arrests concerning the Epstein files in the United States, though he did not mention the President by name in either instance.[54]
As for the production team, those who returned to the telecast were Hamish Hamilton as director, Rob Paine as co-executive producer, Sarah Levine Hall and Taryn Hurd as producers, Mandy Moore as supervising choreographer, and Michael Bearden as music director; production designers Alana Billingsley and Misty Buckley, and lighting designers Bob Dickinson and Noah Mitz also returned.[5] Collaborating with O'Brien and Sweeney as writers were Amberia Allen, José Arroyo, Josh Comers, Dan Cronin, Jessie Gaskell, Skyler Higley, Berkley Johnson, Ian Karmel, Brian Kiley, Laurie Kilmartin, Carol Leifer, Todd Levin, Jon Macks, Matt O'Brien, and Agathe Panaretos.[5]Josh Groban, Sterling K. Brown, and Jim Downey appeared in scripted sketches, the latter reprising his role from One Battle After Another.[55][56][57]
For the third consecutive year, comedian and journalist Amelia Dimoldenberg served as the social media ambassador and red carpet correspondent for the Oscars' online outlets. Dimoldenberg participated in multiple key events throughout awards season, culminating in interviews with nominees and talent on the Oscars red carpet.[58]Tamron Hall and Jesse Palmer hosted the pre-show.[1]
On March 4, Variety reported that Barbra Streisand was in talks to perform during the in memoriam segment to honor Robert Redford, who died in September 2025.[59] Additionally, Billy Crystal honored Rob Reiner, who was killed along with his wife, Michele, on December 14, 2025.[60] On March 6, Variety reported that Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, and Kristen Wiig were set to present together to honor the 15th anniversary of their 2011 film Bridesmaids.[61] On March 11, the production team held a press conference, confirming the reunions of the actors from Bridesmaids and Marvel film adaptations.[62] In an interview for Deadline Hollywood, Kapoor and Mullan announced the extended format of the in memoriam segment and implementation of the "Fab Five" format while presenting Best Casting, when five nominees are introduced by the actors from the nominated films.[63] O'Brien also revealed that Reiner would receive "a very powerful" tribute.[64] On March 13, People reported about the planned surprise inspired by The Devil Wears Prada (2006), said to draw from its upcoming 2026 sequel.[65]
Also on March 11, producers announced the increased security following a warning by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of a possible attack on California by Iran in light of the Iran war. The Los Angeles Police Department announced that the Dolby Theatre would be patrolled by approximately 1,000 private security officers, as well as deployed uniformed officers, surveillance cameras, and drones.[66][67][68]
In a letter sent to all music nominees and obtained exclusively by Variety, the Academy emphasized that the category would remain fully integrated into the broadcast, even as live performances are limited to "Golden" and "I Lied to You". The letter was signed by Kapoor and Mullan, along with producer Taryn Hurd; the Academy declined to comment.[69] According to the Academy, each nominated song would be introduced through a custom-produced segment built from footage of the film it was written for, with the goal of grounding each song in its cinematic context. Those packages would also incorporate behind-the-scenes material offering insight into the songwriting process and creative intent. The producing team also noted that nominees would receive additional promotional support across its official social media platforms, pointing to recent Spotify collaborations and the nominations announcement as examples of that outreach. The performances would be framed as segments designed to honor how music helped those stories resonate worldwide while the remaining nominees would be recognized through the bespoke film-based packages rather than live musical numbers.[69]
This decision was condemned by nominee Diane Warren, nominated for her original song "Dear Me" from the documentary feature film Diane Warren: Relentless, stating, "It is unfair to me and my fellow nominees because you just excluded three songs and chose two. It is my fellow artists who deserve the respect which comes from a nomination [...] It is all of us or none of us and that is what it should be."[70] In a pre-ceremony interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kramer acknowledged the decision, making it "extremely clear" that "all of the nominees [would] be represented on the show in a special way" and that there would be two "moments" during the ceremony that would be about "celebrating big global cultural moments in cinema" with the two original song performances being a part of those moments, adding that it "does not negate the power of the other nominees and our interest in celebrating those nominees".[71]
"This year, our music performances are inspired by two of the most powerful cultural phenomena in film: Sinners, the most nominated film in Oscars history, and KPop Demon Hunters, a global pop culture sensation," said Kapoor and Mullan in a statement, adding, "These show moments are more than just performances – they expand into cinematic tributes that celebrate the relationship between music and storytelling, and why these films resonated so deeply with audiences around the world."[50] Per the announcement, the KPop Demon Hunters moment would begin with a "fusion of traditional Korean instrumentalists and dance, celebrating the folklore and cultural inspiration" that anchors the story in the film.[50] On March 11, Deadline Hollywood asked Kapoor and Mullan how the ceremony would present the other three nominated songs, with Kapoor stating, "We are putting together a nomination package. All five are featured in there. And really it's shining a spotlight on the songs and the songwriters that are part of that process. But again, we've kind of taken a look at all our nomination packages this year and tried to make some creative choices of how we're using them, and spotlighting different people, and we try to just have a lot of variety within the entire show."[63]
Beginning with this ceremony, the AMPAS presented a new competitive award that honors casting directors. The Academy Award for Best Casting is the first new Oscar category introduced since Best Animated Feature in 2001.[75] On February 8, 2024, the AMPAS announced the creation of the category, stating, "Casting directors play an essential role in filmmaking, and as the Academy evolves, we are proud to add casting to the disciplines that we recognize and celebrate." Nominees were determined by the Casting Directors Branch within the Academy, which was established in July 2013 and totaled nearly 160 members at the time of the award's announcement.[75] A category to award achievement in casting had previously been rejected by the Academy in 1999.[76]
In February 2026, during a panel discussion, four of the first five nominees in the category acknowledged and celebrated the recognition of the new category.[77] "I think it's kind of sad that it took that long," said Cassandra Kulukundis, who would ultimately win the award for One Battle After Another, adding, "I'm realizing on this journey that people really don't understand what [casting directors] do. It's the same as anything [...] You study for hours, you know the history, you know the looks."[77]Francine Maisler, nominated for Sinners, said, "Casting directors are amazing people who lift other people up. That we're being lifted up at this moment means a lot to us and all of those casting directors that came before us."[77] As the first recipient, Kulukundis, in her acceptance speech, thanked the Academy "for even adding this category and for the casting directors that fought tirelessly to make it happen despite everything in their way."[14]
Production design
On March 11, 2026, the production team held a press conference. They described the theme for the show as "humanity", with Kapoor explaining that "everything that you see in the show is inspired by human touch and creativity" and that they have "completely redesigned what the stage looks like". Buckley added: "Last year was very kind of monolithic and temple-like and so this year, we were sort of looking at reverential spaces, so looking at beautiful light, organic form. We've got lots of architectural layers that there's quite a lot of kinesis in the set, and it moves and reveals this beautiful light cast by trees. We've got trees in the set this year, which is very exciting. And we're just really leaning into that human touch nature and organic with kind of really beautiful, bold modern forms as well."[62]
On March 14, Vanity Fair published exclusive photos of the production design of the Oscars stage. It was revealed that the Dolby Theatre stage had been designed to represent a garden courtyard, with greenery woven and handmade trees throughout it, in "an attempt to create what feels like a relaxing space in a chaotic world". The area was lit to feel like golden hour, with "the warm, glowing light that bathes the landscape just before sunset". The stage was also equipped with moving components, including mechanized LED panels that could move around the stage and reveal new spaces. In contrast to previous ceremonies, evoking a sense of luxury, the team focused on using glass, metal and stone, more in line with their organic mindset. "There is an unsettled nature around the climate right now, and there's just something very calming about being surrounded by architecture, but having this space for trees to grow. We are exploring the contrast between the organic and the rigidly architectural, and that creates the feeling that life can exist anywhere," Billingsley commented.[78]
Box office performance of Best Picture nominees
When the nominations were announced, eight of the ten films nominated for Best Picture had earned a combined gross of nearly $750million at the American and Canadian box offices at the time. Sinners was the highest-grossing film among the Best Picture nominees with $280million in domestic box office receipts. F1 came in second with $189.6million; this was followed by Marty Supreme ($80.6million), One Battle After Another ($71.6million), Bugonia ($17.7million), Hamnet ($15.3million), Sentimental Value ($4.3million), and The Secret Agent ($2.6million). The box office figures for Frankenstein and Train Dreams were unavailable due to distributor Netflix's policy of refusing to release such figures.[79]
Controversies
Issues with Motaz Malhees's entry into the United States
Two days before the ceremony, the nominated film The Voice of Hind Rajab became a subject of controversy related to entry restrictions to the United States, which prevented Palestinian actor Motaz Malhees from attending the ceremony.[80][81][82]
According to Malhees, his absence was due to new U.S. immigration measures that came into force on January 1, 2026, under President Donald Trump; such measures expanded the suspension of visa issuance and entry restrictions to include travelers holding documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).[82][83][84] Malhees publicly announced his inability to travel through a message, posted on Instagram, in which he stated that "a passport can be blocked, but not a voice".[80][82][85]
The case received extensive coverage in the international press and was framed within the broader political context of the ceremony. It featured numerous statements concerning the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and other politically charged issues.[86]
Handling of the Best Original Song acceptance speech
The Academy was faced with backlash involving the Best Original Song winner ("Golden") acceptance speech. When co-singer/songwriter Ejae finished her part of the speech, fellow co-writer Yu Han Lee began to give his acceptance speech when the playoff music immediately cut him off. Though Lee tried to talk over the music, he and the other songwriters were quickly ushered off the stage after appearing to try to wave at the production team to stop. The cutoff drew audible boos from the crowd inside the theater and was widely criticized on social media.[87][88][89]
Backstage in the press room, Ejae was the first to acknowledge the moment, half-joking about the sudden musical cue that cut the speech short. However, it was her fellow winners, Lee and Mark Sonnenblick, who ultimately completed their remarks they were unable to finish onstage.[88]
In an interview with Variety published the following day, Walt Disney Television Executive VP Rob Mills addressed the criticism and stated that the cutoff had inspired his team to rethink their approach for next year. "One thing, as we post mortem for next year, will be to look at how we're handling speeches," he said, adding, "I don't know what the most elegant solution is, but it's obviously something we should look really, really long and hard at."[89]
Ratings and reception
The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 17.86million people over its length, which was a 9% decrease from the previous year's ceremony and the lowest Oscar viewership since the 94th ceremony in 2022. Additionally, it garnered a 3.92 demo rating among adults 18–49 (equivalent to about 5.34million viewers in that demographic), a 14% decline from last year. It became the most-watched primetime entertainment telecast of the season and generated more than 181million impressions on social media throughout the telecast.[3]
"In Memoriam"
The following individuals were honored during the tribute:[90][91][92]
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