The Academy Awards - better known simply as the Oscars - remain one of cinema’s most iconic annual events. Every spring, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honors the most outstanding achievements in filmmaking from the prior year. Though it began as a relatively small gathering in 1929, the Oscars have grown into a global cultural moment watched (or streamed) by millions worldwide.
Here are some of its special moments over the years:
📆 When and Where
The 98th Academy Awards will take place on March 15, 2026 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The live telecast begins at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
📺 Where You Can Watch
In the U.S., the ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC and streamed on Hulu.
🧑🎤 Who’s Hosting?
For the second consecutive year, Conan O'Brien returns as host of the Oscars. His first time hosting drew positive attention from critics and audiences alike, with many praising his blend of humor and respectful tone.
O’Brien is no stranger to awards-show hosting, having previously emceed events like the Primetime Emmy Awards and the MTV Movie Awards earlier in his career.
There haven’t been major public controversies about O’Brien hosting the Oscars. He was most recently in the news as having hosted a party attended by Rob Reiner and his wife, who were tragically murdered by their mentally unstable son the next day.
🏆 How Many Awards
The Academy will present 24 competitive Oscars this year. These include the traditional categories (like Best Picture and Best Director) as well as acting, writing and a range of technical fields. The addition of Best Casting - a brand-new category this year - marks one of the most notable updates in recent Oscars history.
🌟 Top Nominees in Popular Categories
Among the films leading the nominations this year:
• “Sinners” leads with a record-breaking 16 nominations, making it a clear frontrunner across major and technical categories
• Other films with strong showings include “One Battle After Another,” “F1 The Movie,” “Hamnet,” and “Marty Supreme”
Some well-known performers received nominations this year, including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, Michael B. Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jessie Buckley, Rose Byrne and Kate Hudson among others, with many expected to contend in major performance categories.
📊 Audience & Ratings: Trending Up or Down?
Television ratings for awards shows have generally declined from their peak years decades ago, but the Oscars still rank as one of the year’s most-watched broadcasts. The 97th Academy Awards in 2025 drew an average audience of around 19.7 million viewers in the U.S. across linear broadcast and streaming - a slight increase from the prior year and noted as a five-year high. However, this figure is smaller than Oscars viewership at its peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when viewership could exceed 50 million.
So while the Academy has made progress stabilizing audience numbers - including by reintegrating a well-received host - the show’s viewership remains well below its historic highs. Broadcasters and strategists continue to explore how to engage younger and global audiences more effectively.
🔮 What’s Next: 2027 and Beyond
Looking ahead, the Academy has already announced another new award category for the 2027 Oscars: Achievement in Stunt Design. This reflects a broader industry interest in recognizing the work behind action sequences and other choreographed physical performance.
The Oscars also announced future broadcast changes; starting in 2029, the ceremony will be exclusively streamed on YouTube as part of a new multiyear global distribution agreement, replacing ABC as the primary broadcaster. This shift reflects changing viewer habits and a desire to expand access to international and online audiences.
🎥 It’s a Wrap
The 2026 Oscars promise to blend tradition with incremental updates: a returning host who has won fans, a new category in Best Casting, broad global streaming access and a batch of nominees generating both critical accolades and box-office buzz. While viewership patterns continue to shift in the streaming age, the Oscars remain a centerpiece of awards season - a place where the year’s most ambitious and celebrated films get their moment in the spotlight.
Watching or not, fire up the Quizefy app and put your new Oscars knowledge to the test - let your smarts steal the spotlight!