Conan O’Brien will return to host the Oscars in 2026, joking that he took the gig so that he can “hear Adrien Brody finish his speech”.
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The comedian and talk show host made his hosting debut at the Academy Awards earlier this month, and now the Academy has confirmed he will take on the role again on March 15, 2026 at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre.
Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang made the announcement on Monday (March 17), also confirming that production team Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will also return.
Responding to the news, O’Brien quipped: “The only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech”.
Adrien Brody and Conan O’Brien at the Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by John Shearer/97th Oscars/The Academy via Getty Images)
Brody won Best Actor this year for his role in The Brutalist, with his acceptance speech coming in for widespread criticism for clocking in as the longest in the history of the Oscars while offering little in terms of entertainment value.
“We are thrilled to bring back Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff and Mike for the 98th Oscars!” Kramer and Yang said. “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 – skilfully guiding us through the evening with humor, warmth and reverence. It is an honor to be working with them again.”
During his opening monologue this year, O’Brien cracked jokes at the expense of Karla Sofía Gascón, the star of Emilia Pérez who had been at the heart of a controversy regarding her historical racist tweets.
“Anora uses the ‘F-word’ 479 times – that’s three more than the record set by Karla Sofía Gascón’s publicist,” he said, before mimicking the publicist on the phone shouting: “she tweeted what??”
Later he would say: “Karla Sofía Gascón is here tonight – and Karla, if you are going to tweet about the Oscars, my name is Jimmy Kimmel”. Talk show star Kimmel had hosted the previous two ceremonies.
O’Brien also joked about last year’s Kendrick Lamar-Drake beef, making reference to Lamar’s recent Super Bowl performance. “Well, we’re halfway through the show, which means it’s time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile,” O’Brien exclaimed. The audience responded with laughter and audible gasps, to which O’Brien quipped: “Don’t worry, I’m lawyered up.”
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