Conan O’Brien’s first time hosting the Oscars had a lot of Substance, so the comedian is back to host the 98th Academy Awards.
Today, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang announced that O’Brien is returning for a second year to host the Oscars, which takes place on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
In addition, Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan are returning as the show’s executive producers for the third consecutive year. Plus, Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney will return as producers for a second time, and Sweeney will also serve as a writer.
“We are thrilled to bring back Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff, and Mike for the 98th Oscars,” Kramer and Yang said in a 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.”
The pair added that it’d be an honor to work with the returning team again.
Meanwhile, O’Brien joked, “The only reason I’m hosting The Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech.”
Keeping the core team together makes sense after the Oscars produced wickedly good reviews and ratings in its 97th iteration.
For his part, O’Brien received plenty of praise as host, keeping the show lively in a year where smaller movies, including Anora and Flow, took home the big prizes.
Meanwhile, though the initial Oscars ratings showed a decline, mobile and PC viewing gave the final numbers a big bump. The event, held on March 2, had five-year highs in total viewers (19.69 million) and Adults 18-49 (4.54 rating). Plus, the show earned more than 104 million social interactions, which the Academy said outperformed the Grammys and the Super Bowl.
The Oscars also far outpaced other live awards events in 2025, including The Golden Globes, which averaged 9.3 million viewers, and the Grammys, which drew 15.4 million viewers.
That viewership came despite a rocky start for Hulu’s first time streaming the Oscars, which included technical glitches and streaming issues that led to Disney and Hulu issuing an apology.