The 98th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), will take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, United States. During the gala, the AMPAS will present Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories, honoring films released in 2025. The ceremony will be televised in the United States by ABC and streamed on Hulu.[1] Comedian Conan O'Brien is set to host the show for the second consecutive time, after receiving universal acclaim for hosting the previous year, with Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan returning as executive producers for the third consecutive year, and Hamish Hamilton returning as director.[1][2][3]
The sixteen nominations received by Sinners are the most in Oscar history, surpassing the previous record of fourteen shared by All About Eve (1950), Titanic (1997), and La La Land (2016).[11][12][13] It also broke the record for most Black individuals nominated for a single film at ten.[14] The film's studio, Warner Bros., earned thirty nominations, tying its own record set in 2005.[15]
Beginning with this ceremony, the Academy will begin enforcing rules ensuring that all members have watched every nominated film in each category before voting in the final round.[23]
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, will also return as producers for a second time; Sweeney will also serve as a writer.[1] "We are thrilled to bring back Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff, and Mike for the 98th Oscars," said AMPAS CEO Bill Kramer and 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."[1] 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."[1]
As for the production team, returning to the telecast are 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 are also returning.[2] Collaborating with O'Brien and Sweeney as writers include 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.[2]
For the third consecutive year, comedian and journalist Amelia Dimoldenberg will serve as the social media ambassador and red carpet correspondent for the Oscars' online outlets. Dimoldenberg will participate in multiple key events throughout the awards season, culminating in interviews with nominees and talent on the Oscars red carpet.[24]
Due to time constraints and broader structural changes to the telecast, only two of the five nominees for Best Original Song will be performed live during the gala, those being "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters and "I Lied to You" from Sinners.[22] In a letter sent to all music nominees and obtained exclusively by Variety, the Academy emphasized that the category will 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.[22] According to the Academy, each nominated song will 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 may also incorporate behind-the-scenes material offering insight into the songwriting process and creative intent. The producing team also noted that nominees will 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 will be framed as segments designed to honor how music helped those stories resonate worldwide while the remaining nominees will be recognized through the bespoke film-based packages rather than live musical numbers.[22] This decision was condemned by nominee Diane Warren, nominated for her original song "Dear Me" from 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."[25]
Beginning with this ceremony, the AMPAS will present a new competitive award that will honor casting directors. The Academy Award for Best Casting is the first new Oscar category introduced since Best Animated Feature in 2001.[26] 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 will be 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.[26] A category to award achievement in casting had previously been rejected by the Academy in 1999.[27]
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