The 98th edition of the Academy Awards arrives on March 15 with a nominations slate that underscores a volatile and competitive awards season, as the film industry tests new categories and contends with shifting distribution dynamics.
The ceremony will air live at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) on American Broadcasting Company, with streaming also available in the U.S. on Hulu. Late-night host Conan O’Brien returns to emcee the broadcast for a second consecutive year, following a widely watched 2025 telecast.
Where to Watch
The awards will be carried on local ABC affiliates across the U.S. and streamed simultaneously on Hulu for the second straight year, reflecting the Academy’s gradual shift toward digital distribution.
Viewers can also access the broadcast via streaming bundles such as YouTube TV, AT&T TV and FuboTV, while cable and satellite subscribers can watch through the ABC website and mobile app. The ceremony will be distributed in more than 200 territories globally.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said in December 2025 that future telecasts will eventually migrate to YouTube, though the Oscars will remain on ABC under the current rights agreement through 2029.
Host and Production Team
O’Brien returns as host after steering last year’s show, which drew attention for his pointed jokes about awards-season controversies.
Credit: Disney/Andrew Eccles
The production team also remains largely unchanged. Executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor is back alongside executive producers Katy Mullan and Rob Paine, with longtime awards-show director Hamish Hamilton overseeing the broadcast.
The Leading Contenders
Crime drama Sinners enters the ceremony as the clear front-runner with a record 16 nominations, including best picture and best director for Ryan Coogler. The film also earned acting nominations for Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku.
Among the other major contenders is Hamnet from Chloé Zhao, starring Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as Agnes. Zhao’s nomination marks her second for best director following her win for Nomadland in 2021.
One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, secured 13 nominations including best actor for Leonardo DiCaprio and supporting acting nods for Benicio del Toro and Teyana Taylor.
Internationally, Brazilian thriller The Secret Agent emerged as a breakout awards contender, with nominations for best picture, best casting and best international feature. Its lead, Wagner Moura, is nominated for best actor.
The category also pits Moura against Timothée Chalamet, who was previously competing in a different category at the Golden Globe Awards but now faces Moura directly in the Oscar race.
Streaming-Era Nominees
Several nominees reflect the growing influence of streaming platforms.
Netflix-backed titles include the animated feature KPop Demon Hunters, whose track Golden is nominated for best original song, and the documentary The Perfect Neighbor, a true-crime film built around police body-camera footage from a fatal confrontation in Florida.
Red Carpet Coverage
Red-carpet coverage will begin ahead of the ceremony with the official pre-show airing at 6:30 p.m. ET on ABC and Hulu.
Host and internet personality Amelia Dimoldenberg, known for the viral YouTube series Chicken Shop Date, returns as the Oscars’ social-media ambassador and will conduct celebrity interviews as arrivals unfold.
The combination of heavyweight nominees, streaming contenders and a new award for casting makes this year’s ceremony one of the more closely watched in recent memory, as the film industry gauges how audiences and voters respond to a rapidly evolving awards landscape.
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