Conan O'Brien returning to host Oscars in 2026

By Yi-Jin Yu

Conan O'Brien will return to host the 98th Oscars next year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Monday.

"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, referring to this year's best actor Oscar winner, whose acceptance speech was over five minutes long.

Andrew Eccles/Disney

97th Oscars hosted by Conan O'Brien.

The announcement comes two weeks after the comedian and producer hosted his first Academy Awards, the 97th Oscars, on March 2, which brought in over 19 million total viewers, making it the no. 1 prime-time entertainment telecast for the 2024-2025 season.

Ahead of the Oscars this year, O'Brien had told "Good Morning America" he was excited to host Hollywood's biggest night.

"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," he said in February.

O'Brien will reunite with executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan, who are both returning for a third year, and producers Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney, who is also a writer for the awards show.

"We are thrilled to bring back Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff and Mike for the 98th Oscars!" the Academy's CEO, Bill Kramer, and president, Janet Yang, said in a joint statement. "This 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."

The 98th Oscars are scheduled to be broadcast live on March 15, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. PT on ABC. The ceremony will also return to the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

Before hosting the Oscars, O'Brien made his mark hosting his late-night talks shows "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" and "Conan." He was also a writer for "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons."

O'Brien is currently hosting his "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend" podcast and a travel show called "Conan O'Brien Must Go."

Walt Disney is the parent company of ABC and ABC News.