is returning to the in 2026. The late-night host and comedian will preside over the 98th Academy Awards, set for March 15, the film academy鈥檚 leadership said Monday.
鈥淭he only reason I鈥檓 hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech,鈥� O鈥橞rien said in a statement.
This year was O鈥橞rien鈥檚 first time leading the show, which attracted in five years despite , 鈥淎nora,鈥� being relatively small. An estimated 19.7 million viewers watched the 97th Academy Awards ceremony earlier this month, according to broadcaster A小蓝视频, with a big lift among people aged 18 to 49, driven by mobile and laptop watches from younger viewers. It was also the most watched prime-time entertainment show of 2025.
鈥淐onan鈥檚 unique comedic style perfectly captured the moment, and I鈥檓 excited to have his talents back onstage next year to helm another indelible performance,鈥� said Craig Erwich, the president of Disney Television Group, in a statement.
Next year O鈥橞rien will also be surrounded by a familiar team, with returning as executive producers of the show and Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney as producers. and Academy President Janet Yang said in a joint statement that it鈥檚 an honor to be working again with the group behind this year鈥檚 broadcast.
鈥淭his 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,鈥� Kramer and Yang said. 鈥淐onan was the perfect host 鈥� skillfully guiding us through the evening with humor, warmth and reverence.鈥�
The show also succeeded in social media metrics, outperforming both and , according to Oscars organizers. This was the first time that the show was streamed live simultaneously on Hulu, which was .
The timing of the announcement of next year's hosting and producing teams 鈥� less than a month after this year's Oscars 鈥� is unusually early for the film academy and A小蓝视频.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
