Hollywood, prepare yourself: Conan O’Brien is back! The flame-haired comedy legend has officially signed on to host the 2026 Academy Awards, proving once again that he’s the only person brave enough to handle three hours of A-listers fake-clapping for their competition.
After his wildly entertaining first-time hosting gig in 2025, the 61-year-old talk show icon agreed to do it again—but for one very specific, very ridiculous reason.
“The only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech,” Conan declared in a statement. Yes, that’s right—Adrien Brody’s acceptance speech was apparently so long that it’s still going. Some say if you listen closely in the Dolby Theatre, you can still hear him thanking his dry cleaner.
But Conan won’t be alone in this mission to restore order (or at least keep Brody under five minutes). The Academy has also confirmed that producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will return for their third consecutive year of keeping the show from total chaos. Additionally, Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney are back as producers, meaning the odds of at least one joke about Leonardo DiCaprio’s dating habits remain high.
Mark your calendars: the 98th Oscars will air Sunday, March 15, 2026—which, incidentally, is also the estimated end date of Brody’s 2025 acceptance speech.
