The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Conan O'Brien returns as host for the second consecutive year, with the ceremony airing live on ABC and streaming on Hulu.
Sinners has shattered Oscar records with 16 nominations - the most in Academy Awards history, surpassing the previous record of 14 shared by All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land. The film also broke the record for most Black individuals nominated for a single film at 10. Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another follows closely with 13 nominations in what's shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable races in recent memory.
In the Best Actor category, Timothée Chalamet became the youngest actor since Marlon Brando to receive three nominations, competing against Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, Ethan Hawke, and Wagner Moura. For Best Actress, two-time winner Emma Stone vies for her third Oscar against first-time nominees Jessie Buckley, Rose Byrne, Renate Reinsve, and Kate Hudson.
This year marks the first Oscars where voting requires members to view every nominated film in each category or abstain from voting, adding uncertainty to predictions. NPR critics argue Sinners should win Best Picture, noting the film's extraordinary momentum and parallels to Everything Everywhere All at Once's successful campaign. Musical performances will feature Miles Caton performing "I Lied to You" from Sinners and HUNTR/X performing "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters.
