When are the 2026 Oscars? Your guide for watching the Academy Awards

The stage is set and the red carpet rolled out as Hollywood prepares for its biggest night: the Oscars.

The 98th Academy Awards, celebrating the best movies of 2025 and the people behind them, are set to take place on March 15 in Los Angeles.

Producers of the show, hosted by Conan O'Brien, have promised a grand, star-studded ceremony with thrilling performances and multiple reunions, including "a Marvel reunion for superhero fans" and of the 2011 comedy "Bridesmaids," starring Rose Byrne, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Melissa McCarthy.

Meanwhile, leading the nominations this year is Ryan Coogler's popular gangster drama and vampire horror movie "Sinners" with 16 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Best Supporting Actress (Wunmi Mosaku) and Best Supporting Actor (Delroy Lindo). It breaks the previous record of 14, a feat shared by "Titanic," "All About Eve" and "La La Land."

Following closely behind is "One Battle After Another" with 13 nods, while "Marty Supreme," "Frankenstein" and "Sentimental Value" each received nine.

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The competition for Oscars' top prize – Best Picture – includes "Sinners," "The Secret Agent", and "Blue Moon, “Bugonia,” "F1: The Movie," “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme," “Sentimental Value” and “Train Dreams."

Timothée Chalamet ("Marty Supreme") and Wagner Moura ("The Secret Agent") are in the running for Best Actor, a category that also includes Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio ("One Battle After Another") and Ethan Hawke ("Blue Moon").

In running for Best Actress are Jessie Buckley ("Hamnet"), Rose Byrne ("If I Had Legs I'd Kick You"), Emma Stone ("Bugonia"), Renate Reinsve ("Sentimental Value") and Kate Hudson ("Song Sung Blue").

Here's what you need to know before popping that popcorn and tuning in for the 2026 Academy Awards.

What time are the 2026 Oscars?

The 2026 Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 15. The awards ceremony is scheduled to commence at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

How to watch the 2026 Oscars

The 2026 Oscars will air live on ABC and the ABC app (if you're a cable subscriber) on Sunday at 7 p.m. / 4 p.m. PT.

You can also stream the awards ceremony live on Hulu and via FuboTV.

Oscars 2026: Stream on Hulu

How to watch the 2026 Oscars red carpet

The official Oscars red carpet, hosted by British comedian Amelia Dimoldenberg, will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT and will air live on ABC and broadcast outlets and stream on Hulu.

The Oscar celebrations, meanwhile, will kick off the ceremony with a star-studded pre-show "On the Red Carpet at the Oscars" at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT during which Lara Spencer, along with Whit Johnson and Linsey Davis, will interview this year’s Oscar nominees and presenters alongside George Pennacchio, Joelle Garguilo, and Chris Connelly. The pre-show will air across ABC Owned Television Stations and affiliates and will stream on ABC News Live.

E!'s "Live from the Red Carpet" will commence at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT with Zuri Hall hosting.

2026 Oscars host

Conan O'Brien returns as host for the 2026 Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced in March 2025, marking the former late-night TV star's second time hosting the film awards ceremony. The comedian previously hosted the Emmys in 2002 and 2006.

"The only reason I'm hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech," said O’Brien, 61, taking a playful dig at Brody's record-breaking speech after winning the best actor Oscar for "The Brutalist."

O'Brien, during the March 11 Oscars news conference, said the show will not shy away from making political statements, but would walk a careful line.

"What's happening in the world will be reflected in the show," he said. "My job as host is to walk this thin line between entertaining people and also acknowledging some of the realities. So, it's a dance that goes on until the show begins."

He added his monologue is "still evolving," and "things that happen this week" might make "their way into the show."

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Who's presenting at the 2026 Oscars?

The following celebrities have been tapped to present at the 98th Oscars so far:

• Adrien Brody
• Javier Bardem
• Kieran Culkin
• Chris Evans
• Chase Infiniti
• Mikey Madison
• Demi Moore
• Kumail Nanjiani
• Maya Rudolph
• Zoe Saldaña
• Will Arnett
• Priyanka Chopra Jonas
• Robert Downey Jr.
• Anne Hathaway
• Paul Mescal
• Gwyneth Paltrow
• Rose Byrne
• Nicole Kidman
• Jimmy Kimmel
• Delroy Lindo
• Ewan McGregor
• Wagner Moura
• Pedro Pascal
• Bill Pullman
• Lewis Pullman
• Channing Tatum
• Sigourney Weaver

Matt Berry will serve as the announcer for this year’s show.

2026 Oscars performers

“KPop Demon Hunters” and the singing voices behind HUNTR/X, Rei Ami, EJAE and Audrey Nuna will perform the Oscar-nominated song "Golden," in a celebration of Korean culture, while "Sinners" will receive a mega-sized musical tribute during the show.

"Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq will perform the Oscar-nominated original song 'I Lied To You,' and they will be joined by (ballet dancer) Misty Copeland, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, Brittany Howard, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, Bobby Rush, Shaboozey and Alice Smith in an homage to the film’s singular visual style," organizers said.

The show will also include appearances by Josh Groban and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

2026 Oscars venue

The 98th Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. The awards ceremony has been held at the theater, previously known as the Kodak Theatre, located inside the Ovation Hollywood shopping center, since 2001, according to the venue's website.

The state-of-the-art Hollywood theater, designed with the Academy Awards broadcast in mind, has a seating capacity of 3,300.

Contributing: Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.