Conan O'Brien will make his return to the Oscars stage as the host for the 98th Academy Awards. The event is scheduled to be broadcast live on March 15, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. PT on ABC. O'Brien, who is widely recognized for his late-night talk shows, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien," and "Conan," hosted his first Oscars ceremony for the 97th Academy Awards earlier this year.
The 97th Oscars proved to be a monumental success, drawing in over 19 million viewers and becoming the number one prime-time entertainment telecast for the 2024-2025 season. O'Brien's performance was met with praise, with the Academy describing it as "perfect" and acknowledging his ability to navigate the evening with "humor, warmth, and reverence."
"Conan was the perfect host — skillfully guiding us through the evening with humor, warmth and reverence." – Bill Kramer and Janet Yang
In addition to O'Brien's return, executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will reunite with him for their third consecutive year. Producers Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney, also a writer for the awards show, will be part of the team once again. Together, they are expected to deliver an engaging and memorable event that celebrates cinema's finest.
"We are thrilled to bring back Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff and Mike for the 98th Oscars!" – Bill Kramer and Janet Yang
O'Brien is no stranger to comedy writing, having honed his skills on shows like "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons." Currently, he hosts the popular podcast "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend" and a travel show titled "Conan O'Brien Must Go." His diverse experience in both hosting and writing positions him well for the role of Oscars host once more.
Expressing his excitement about hosting Hollywood's most prestigious night, O'Brien shared that the Oscars hold a special place in his heart from growing up watching the ceremony.
"I have an amazing team of writers. We have been going through tons of ideas, and I'm excited because I grew up watching the Oscars, and it is something [that's] imprinted on my memory." – Conan O'Brien
O'Brien also brought humor to his announcement by joking about this year's best actor winner's lengthy acceptance speech.
"The only reason I'm hosting 'The Oscars' next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech." – Conan O'Brien
