Lead
The 98th Academy Awards take place Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with the ceremony beginning at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT and the official red carpet starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. Conan O’Brien returns as host for a second consecutive year, and ABC will broadcast the red carpet and ceremony live while several streaming services carry the show. Industry frontrunner Sinners arrives with a record 16 nominations, shaping expectations for the night. This guide explains when and where to tune in, who will appear, and what to watch afterward.
Key Takeaways
- The ceremony is Sunday, March 15 at the Dolby Theatre; the broadcast begins at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT and the red carpet starts at 6:30 p.m. ET.
- ABC (local affiliates, the ABC app and ABC.com) will air the red carpet and the main ceremony live; the show is also available on Hulu, YouTube TV, AT&T TV and Fubo TV in the U.S.
- Sinners leads with 16 nominations, One Battle After Another has 13, and Frankenstein, Sentimental Value and Marty Supreme each have nine.
- Conan O’Brien is the host for a second straight year; Matt Berry is serving as the ceremony announcer.
- The Academy added an award for casting this year; nominees include Nina Gold (Hamnet) and Jennifer Venditti (Marty Supreme).
- Musical moments include Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq performing “I Lied to You” from Sinners, the fictional K-pop group Huntrix performing “Golden,” and Josh Groban with the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
Background
The Academy Awards remain the film industry’s most prominent annual ceremony, combining filmmaking craft, star power and industry politics. Broadcast outlets have traditionally been network television; ABC has carried the Oscars for decades and continues to be the U.S. broadcast partner, while streaming platforms have steadily expanded their presence in recent years. That hybrid distribution reflects broader shifts in how audiences watch live events and how studios promote awards-season films.
This year’s race is shaped by landmark nomination totals and several industry firsts, including the Academy’s new casting category. The large nomination haul for Sinners has concentrated attention and campaign resources, while high-profile titles such as One Battle After Another and Marty Supreme round out the front-runners. For filmmakers and talent, an Oscar night sweep can translate into renewed box-office interest, higher streaming viewership and expanded future opportunities.
Main Event
Pre-show coverage begins with the red carpet at 6:30 p.m. ET, where arriving nominees and presenters will be interviewed and photographed outside the Dolby Theatre. ABC’s pre-ceremony programming typically includes designer breakdowns, last-minute interviews and package pieces that preview the major contenders. The main telecast starts at 7 p.m. ET and will intersperse awards presentations with short film and music clips, montages and live performances.
Conan O’Brien returns as emcee and will introduce presenters and musical acts across the evening. Confirmed presenters include last year’s acting winners Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin, Mikey Madison and Zoe Saldaña, as well as nominees and actors like Paul Mescal and Rose Byrne. Matt Berry serves as the announcer, guiding viewers through transitions and speaker introductions.
Musical performances are scheduled throughout the program. Miles Caton will sing “I Lied to You” from Sinners with Raphael Saadiq, joined onstage by a roster of guest performers and dancers. The fictional group Huntrix — made up of Rei Ami, EJAE and Audrey Nuna — will perform “Golden,” also nominated for best original song. Josh Groban and the Los Angeles Master Chorale are slated for an additional set.
Analysis & Implications
The distribution mix — live network broadcast plus multiple streaming partners — illustrates how awards shows aim to reach both traditional TV audiences and cord-cutters. Making the ceremony available on streaming platforms like Hulu and YouTube TV broadens reach but also fragments viewership metrics, complicating how success is measured year to year. For advertisers and the Academy, those shifts require different strategies to quantify audience engagement and commercial value.
Sinners’ 16 nominations create a momentum effect that can alter voter perceptions on the final ballots and drive last-minute campaigning. Historically, films that dominate nominations often convert key technical wins into mainstream attention that lifts box office and streaming demand. Conversely, a night with scattered winners can spotlight a wider range of films and careers rather than a single sweep.
The introduction of the casting award signals the Academy’s effort to widen recognition for behind-the-scenes crafts that shape storytelling and representational outcomes. Recognizing casting acknowledges the role of talent selection in creative and cultural representation, and it could shift professional prestige and bargaining power for casting directors in future seasons. International broadcasting arrangements and platform availability will determine how global audiences experience those changes and which films gain post-Oscar international traction.
Comparison & Data
| Film | Nominations |
|---|---|
| Sinners | 16 |
| One Battle After Another | 13 |
| Frankenstein | 9 |
| Sentimental Value | 9 |
| Marty Supreme | 9 |
The table highlights the films with the heaviest nomination counts heading into the ceremony. High nomination totals tend to correlate with larger campaign investments and stronger industry buzz, but conversion rates to wins vary widely. Historically, a frontrunner with double-digit nominations increases its odds in major categories, yet upset wins and surprise outcomes are common and part of the ceremony’s unpredictability.
Reactions & Quotes
Organizers and media partners have emphasized the ceremony’s live, cross-platform reach and the evening’s curated performances.
“an homage to the film’s singular visual style”
The Academy (official announcement)
The Academy used that phrasing when describing the Sinners performance blend of music and movement. Presenters and performers have rehearsed under strict timing to fit the telecast’s runtime and camera choreography.
“ABC will broadcast the red carpet and official ceremony”
ABC (broadcaster)
ABC’s distribution statement reminds viewers that local affiliate broadcasts, the ABC app and ABC.com are primary U.S. outlets for live viewing. Streaming partners have echoed those arrangements and confirmed carriage through their services.
“menu ideas for your 2026 Oscars watch party”
Glen Weldon, NPR critic
NPR critic Glen Weldon curated food suggestions to pair with the ceremony, reflecting a growing culture of at-home viewing parties that extend the broadcast into social and commercial opportunities for brands and creators.
Unconfirmed
- Full on-stage lineup and precise running order for presenters and performers are subject to last-minute changes and have not been finalized publicly.
- Whether every announced musical guest will appear live for the full planned segment has not been independently confirmed by production sources.
- Details on post-ceremony streaming availability for full show replays in some international markets may vary by local rights holders and were not confirmed at publishing.
Bottom Line
The 98th Academy Awards on March 15 blend a traditional live network telecast with expanded streaming options, a show of the industry’s evolving distribution model. Sinners’ record 16 nominations make it the story to watch, but the ceremony’s mix of presenters, new awards and musical segments means surprises remain likely through the night. Viewers in the U.S. should tune to ABC or the listed streaming partners; international viewers should consult the Academy’s regional broadcast list for local coverage.
After the telecast, viewers looking for deeper context can watch nominated films that weren’t widely released or follow up with critic roundups and industry analysis to understand broader implications for distribution, careers and awards-season momentum.
Sources
- NPR (media)
- The Academy (official)
- ABC (broadcaster)