Awards season is finally coming to a close, with the 2026 Oscars putting a bookend on the year in movies. The nominees have been out for nearly two months, the voting has been closed for a week and now it’s time to turn our attention to the ceremony itself.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 98th Academy Awards, including how and where to watch the show.
When are the 2026 Oscars?
The 98th Academy Awards begin on Sunday, March 15 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Official red carpet coverage will start at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. This marks the third consecutive year that the Oscars have started at this time, which is an hour earlier than the previous time slot.
While the Oscars are scheduled to end at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, the broadcast typically runs at least a few minutes long.
The ceremony will air live on ABC. The show will be available to stream live on Hulu, as well, since it is also owned by Disney. If you miss the Oscars live or want to relive all of the night’s biggest moments, you can watch a replay on-demand on Hulu. In December 2025, the Academy announced it had found a new broadcast partner in YouTube. However, that exclusive global rights deal doesn’t kick in until 2029, so the Oscars will remain on ABC and Hulu until then.
Who is nominated at the 2026 Oscars?
Sinners leads all movies with 16 nominations – an all-time Oscars record. Ryan Coogler’s box office hit would have broken the record even if the Academy hadn’t introduced a new category – Best Casting – since the previous record shared by All About Eve, Titanic and La La Land was 14. Titanic and La La Land also had the benefit of picking up nominations in Sound Editing and Sound Mixing, which were condensed into Best Sound in 2021.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another ranks second with 13 nominations, followed by Frankenstein, Marty Supreme and Sentimental Value at nine apiece. Those five films make up half of the Best Picture nominees, alongside Hamnet, Bugonia, F1, The Secret Agent and Train Dreams. Among the most notable films that came up empty when nominations were announced were Wicked: For Good, No Other Choice, Jay Kelly and Sorry, Baby.
Here are DraftKings’ previews for a few of the major above-the-line categories, featuring odds and predictions:
- Best Picture
- Best Director
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
- Best Supporting Actor
- Best Supporting Actress
- Best Original Screenplay
- Best Adapted Screenplay
2026 Oscars FAQs
What time are the 2026 Oscars?
The 2026 Oscars will start at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The show is scheduled to end at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, but usually runs long.
Where can I watch the 2026 Oscars?
The 2026 Oscars will air live on ABC. You can also stream the show live on Hulu, where a replay will be available on-demand as well.
Who is hosting the 2026 Oscars?
Comedian Conan O’Brien will host the 2026 Oscars. This marks his second consecutive year as host, following rave reviews in 2025.
