Hollywood’s biggest night is just around the corner. The 98th Academy Awards, scheduled to take place on March 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, will celebrate the best films of 2025. The event will be star-studded, telecast across the world and there is tremendous excitement among film lovers across the world.
Who is the host?
Comedian and television host Conan O’Brien will return to host the Oscars once again, following his successful hosting gig in 2025. In addition to the awards, the ceremony will feature a long list of celebrities presenting awards, special performances and massive coverage around the world.
When and where to watch Oscars 2026?
The ceremony will take place at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.
In the United States, the Oscars will air live on ABC and can also be streamed on Hulu. Viewers can also watch the broadcast via live TV platforms like DirecTV, Fubo, Sling and Hulu + Live TV. The show will start at 4 PM Pacific Time (PT) and 7 PM Eastern Time (ET). For Indian viewers, the event will be available live on Star Movies, Star Movies Select and JioHotstar from 5:30 am (IST) on March 16. The Oscars will be broadcast via local television networks and streaming platforms in several countries. However, this year’s ceremony will not be broadcast in China and Russia.
this year’s nominees
Of the films in competition this year, ‘Sinners’ has emerged as the biggest contender, with 16 nominations – including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Right behind it is ‘One Battle After Another’, which has received 13 nominations. Many other films have also made a strong place in this race. ‘Frankenstein’, ‘Marty Supreme’ and ‘Sentimental Value’ have received nine nominations each. These films will compete with ‘Bugonia’, ‘F1’, ‘Hamnet’, ‘The Secret Agent’ and ‘Train Dreams’ in the Best Picture category. best picture
Here is the list of major nominations of the 98th Academy Awards (Oscars 2026) in Hindi:
Best Picture
This year there is a tough competition in the ‘Best Film’ category. Nominated films include ‘Bugonia’, ‘F1’, ‘Frankenstein’, ‘Hamnet’, ‘Marty Supreme’, ‘One Battle After Another’, ‘The Secret Agent’, ‘Sentimental Value’, ‘Sinners’ and ‘Train Dreams’. These films are at the forefront of the race for this prestigious award on the basis of their excellent story and production.
Best Director
Five visionary filmmakers have been nominated in the field of direction. These include Chloé Zhao for ‘Hamnet’, Paul Thomas Anderson for ‘One Battle After Another’, Ryan Coogler for ‘Sinners’, Joachim Trier for ‘Sentimental Value’ and Josh Safdie for ‘Marty Supreme’. These directors have taken the cinematic experience to a new level with their unique style.
Best Actor (Leading Role)
Impressive performances in the Best Actor category include Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent) have been nominated. These actors have breathed life into their characters, which will make it quite challenging to choose a winner.
Best Actress (Leading Role)
The race for Best Actress in a Leading Role is between Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song with Blue), Renate Reinsway (Sentimental Value) and Emma Stone (Bugonia). The emotional and powerful performances of these actresses have won the hearts of both audiences and critics.
Best Supporting Actor
Supporting supporting cast members including Benicio del Toro (One Battle After Another), Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), Delroy Lindo (Sinners), Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) and Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Values) received nominations. The contribution of these actors in taking the main story of the film forward has been incomparable.
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress nominees include Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value), Inga Ibsdotter Lillis (Sentimental Value), Amy Madigan (Weapons), Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners) and Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another). These actresses have added depth to the film with their small but impactful roles.
Best Animated Feature Film
This time in the world of animation, ‘Arco’, ‘Elio’, ‘K-pop Demon Hunters’, ‘Little Emily or the Character of Ren’ and the popular ‘Zootopia 2’ have received nominations. All these films set new dimensions in technology and storytelling.
Best International Feature Film
In the category of foreign films, there is competition between Brazil’s ‘The Secret Agent’, France’s ‘It Was Just an Accident’, Norway’s ‘Sentimental Value’, Spain’s ‘Sert’ and Tunisia’s ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’. These films represent different cultures and stories from around the world.
Techno and Music Categories
Talking about other major categories, ‘F1’, ‘Marty Supreme’, ‘One Battle After Another’, ‘Sentimental Value’ and ‘Sinners’ have been selected for Best Film Editing. Best Production Design and Original Score include films such as ‘Frankenstein’, ‘Hamnet’ and ‘Sinners’. In the makeup and sound categories, films like ‘Kokuho’, ‘The Smashing Machine’ and ‘Sert’ have made their place. Best Original Song is a battle between songs like ‘Dear Me’ and ‘I Lied to You’.
Short Films
Animated Shorts: Butterfly, Forevergreen, The Girl Who Cried Pearls, Perfectly a Strangeness.
Live action shorts: Butcher’s Stain, A Friend of Dorothy, Jane Austen’s Period Drama, The Singers, Two People Exchanging Saliva.
A star-studded line-up of presenters
The Academy has confirmed a long list of presenters for this year’s ceremony. The new list includes Nicole Kidman, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, Rose Byrne, Jimmy Kimmel, Delroy Lindo, Ewan McGregor, Wagner Moura and Sigourney Weaver.
A unique moment will be seen on stage in which Bill Pullman and Lewis Pullman will be seen together as a father-son duo as presenters.
Previously announced presenters include Priyanka Chopra, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Anne Hathaway, Paul Mescal, Gwyneth Paltrow, Javier Bardem, Chase Infinity, Demi Moore, Kumail Nanjiani, Maya Rudolph and Adrien Brody, who won an Oscar last year.
Actors Mikey Madison, Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldana will also take the stage as presenters during the ceremony.
planning special performances
The Oscars ceremony will also include special performances inspired by some of this year’s biggest films.
Performances involving ‘Sinners’ and ‘K-pop Demon Hunters’ are planned as part of the festival, which aims to add a dynamic musical element and attract a global audience.
Strict security arrangements
Security has become a major issue ahead of the ceremony. An FBI alert warned law enforcement agencies in California about the threat of a potential drone strike tied to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, ABC News reports.
The warning suggested that the possibility of a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) from an unidentified vessel off the US coast was discussed.
In response, authorities have tightened security around the Oscars site. Local and federal agencies are working closely to ensure the safety of attendees and staff during the event.
Despite geopolitical tensions and tight security, the Oscars remain one of the world’s most watched cultural events. Every year, the festival brings together filmmakers, actors and audiences to celebrate achievements in the field of cinema.
With just days to go until the 98th Academy Awards, excitement is growing about the winners, memorable speeches and onstage moments that make Hollywood’s biggest night special.