By SDCN Staff
Los Angeles, CA–Emmy award-winning television host, Conan O’Brien will return to host the Oscars broadcast on March 15, 2026, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced.
Emmy Award-winning live television event producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will also return as the show’s executive producers for the third consecutive year, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang confirmed.
“We are both so honored to be returning in our roles for the 98th Oscars,” said Kapoor and Mullan. “We can’t wait to work with Conan and his entire team as we continue to explore even more special and heartfelt opportunities to celebrate next year’s nominees and the impact of film around the world.”
Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney will return as producers for a second time, and Sweeney will also serve as a writer.
“We are thrilled to bring back Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff, and Mike for the 98th Oscars!” said Kramer and Yang. “This 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. Conan was the perfect host – skillfully guiding us through the evening with humor, warmth, and reverence. It is an honor to be working with them again.”
“The only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech,” said O’Brien.
Hosted by O’Brien, the 97th Oscars, held on March 2, reached a five-year high in viewership with 19.69 million total viewers and a 4.54 rating among adults aged 18-49, making it the top primetime entertainment broadcast of the 2024-2025 season. The event also achieved 104.2 million social interactions, making it the most socially engaging TV program. For the first time on record, it outperformed both “The Grammy Awards” (102.2 million interactions) and “The Super Bowl” (62.4 million) in social engagement.
O’Brien is best known for hosting the late-night talk shows “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” and “Conan.”
Before his more than two-decade hosting career, O’Brien served as a writer for “Saturday Night Live” and “The Simpsons.” Currently, he hosts the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast, MAX travel show “Conan O’Brien Must Go” and has a supporting role in the feature film “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” He has won five Primetime Emmys and earned 31 nominations for his work.
Kapoor has earned eight Emmy Award nominations and won Emmys for his work at the 96th Oscars and for executive producing the Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) “Adele: One Night Only.” In addition to several Oscars shows, Kapoor’s credits include “The Grammy Awards,” “ACM Awards,” “Latin Grammys,” “The Emmy Awards,” “Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas,” “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration,” “Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter” and “The Paris Olympics LA28 Handover Closing Ceremony.”
Mullan is an executive producer, showrunner, and partner of the global live event production company Done + Dusted. Her work in live entertainment ranges from producing the London Olympics opening and closing ceremonies to “The Little Mermaid Live!.” She won an Emmy for the 96th Oscars, and her other credits include “Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas,” “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration,” “Step Into…The Movies,” several Christmas and New Year’s Eve television specials, and the “Disney Family Singalong” franchise.
Ross is a producer whose credits include “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” “Conan Without Borders,” “Conan,” “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”, “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “The Kids in the Hall.” He has won a Primetime Emmy and earned 15 nominations for his work.
