Celebrate the films that moved us all
Hollywood’s most glamorous night is finally here. The kind of evening that stops the world—where fashion becomes legendary, acceptance speeches turn into cultural moments, and cinema’s greatest names converge under one roof to celebrate the art form that moves us all. The 98th Academy Awards arrive not merely as an awards ceremony, but as a reckoning: a year defined by record-breaking history, boundary-pushing storytelling, and a slate of talent so formidable it has kept industry insiders debating since the nominations were announced.
Whether you are watching from a front-row seat at the Dolby Theatre or tuning in from Malaysia in the early hours of Monday morning, consider this your definitive guide to everything you need to know about the Oscars 2026—from the nominees to the performers, the presenters to the telecast details.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Oscars 2026:
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When are the Oscars 2026?
The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, 15 March, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The show airs live on ABC and Hulu starting at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT—that’s 7 AM Malaysia Time (Monday, 16 March).
Who is hosting?
Comedian Conan O’Brien will be returning as host for the second consecutive year, after receiving acclaim for his debut hosting last year.
Who is nominated for an Oscar in 2026?
This year’s Best Picture race is nothing short of a cinematic feast. Ten titles vie for the evening’s highest honour — Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, and Train Dreams — but make no mistake: all eyes are on Ryan Coogler’s Sinners.
Sinners landed a record-shattering 16 nominations, making history as the most-nominated film for Black talent in a single year. Should the night belong to Sinners, the wins would be doubly watershed: cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw stands to become the first woman ever to claim Best Cinematography, while the inimitable Ruth E. Carter could cement her legacy as the first Black artist to take home three Oscar gold.
On the acting front, the competition is equally electric. The Best Actor category reads like a Hollywood roll call—Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), and Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) each bringing their singular magnetism to the race. The women, as ever, are the ones to watch: Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), and Emma Stone (Bugonia) make for a Best Actress lineup that is as unpredictable as it is thrilling.
And in a nod to the unsung architects of cinema, the Academy introduces its first new category since 2001 — Best Casting, a long-overdue recognition for the art of assembling the perfect ensemble.
Who will be performing at the 2026 Oscars?
The Oscars stage is set to double as a concert hall this year, with two of cinema’s most talked-about songs bringing the house down live. The smash-hit “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters and the rousing “I Lied to You” from Sinners will have the stage.
Who will present at the 2026 Oscars?
Mikey Madison, Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin, and Zoe Saldaña, each of whom claimed an Oscar at the 97th ceremony, will glide back onto the Dolby Theatre stage to bestow the honour upon the next generation of talent.
