Conan O'Brien to return as Oscars host in 2026

Comedian and late-night TV show host Conan O’Brien will return to emcee the annual Oscars ceremony for a second time in 2026, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said on Monday.

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Conan O’Brien hosted the 2025 Oscars telecast that brought in 19.7 million U.S. viewers, the largest audience for Hollywood’s highest honours in five years, according to broadcaster ABC, a Disney unit.

“The only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech,” O’Brien joked in a statement from the Academy, referring to Brody’s long Best Actor Oscars acceptance speech for his role in ‘The Brutalist’.

 

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“I’m excited to have his talents back onstage next year to helm another indelible performance,” Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich said, referring to the Emmy-winning comedian.

Also Read: Adrien Brody breaks longest Oscars speech record as ratings dip

Emmy Award-winning live television event producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will return as executive producers for the third consecutive year.

O’Brien is best known for hosting the late-night talk shows ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brien’, ‘The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien’ and ‘Conan’.

The 98th Oscars will be held on March 15, 2026.