Oscars 2026 Live Tonight: Start Time, Channel, How to Watch the 98th Academy Awards
The 98th Academy Awards are happening right now. The Oscars 2026 kicked off at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 15, with Conan O'Brien returning as host for the second consecutive year. Sinners leads the pack with a record-breaking 16 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director nods for Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler, respectively. One Battle After Another follows with 13 nominations.
What Time Do the Oscars Start and What Channel
The 98th Oscars broadcast live on ABC tonight, Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. ET, continuing the long-standing tradition of airing on the network.
The official red carpet pre-show kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET, hosted by Jesse Palmer and Tamron Hall. That is where viewers can watch nominees, presenters, and A-list guests make their grand entrance before the ceremony begins.
Where to Watch the Oscars 2026 — Streaming Options
The 2026 Oscars air on ABC and stream live on Hulu — including a basic, ad-supported subscription that usually features no live TV.
Viewers without cable can watch through platforms that carry ABC, including Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV and FuboTV. The E! network also carries live coverage, as does Peacock and live TV service providers like Roku, Sling TV and more.
Who Is Hosting the Oscars 2026
Conan O'Brien first took on the hosting duties in 2025 and quickly proved he could balance the night's big Hollywood celebration with his signature humor. He returns in 2026 for a second consecutive run at the podium.
O'Brien said his job is to walk a thin line between entertaining people and acknowledging some of the realities of the world. He and his writing team were still refining material ahead of the show to keep it as current as possible.
Best Picture Nominees 2026 — Sinners vs. One Battle After Another
This year's Academy Awards are shaping up to be a battle between black comedy action-thriller One Battle After Another and fan-favorite horror Sinners. Other contenders include Hamnet, Sentimental Value, Marty Supreme, and Frankenstein.
Sinners is the most-nominated film in Academy Award history with 16 nominations, breaking the previous record of 14 nominations held by All About Eve (1950), Titanic (1997), and La La Land (2016). Ryan Coogler's feature mixes supernatural horror, romance, and blues culture, set in 1932 Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Oscar Nominations 2026 — History on the Line
Sinners director of photography Autumn Durald Arkapaw could become the first woman and first Black cinematographer to win Best Cinematography, while Coogler could become the first Black filmmaker to win Best Director.
Hamnet filmmaker Chloé Zhao could also make history tonight as the first woman to win Best Director twice. Should Wagner Moura win Best Actor for The Secret Agent, he could become the first Brazilian to win in an acting category.
Oscar 2026 Presenters and Performances
Stars slated to present at this year's Academy Awards include Adrien Brody, Mikey Madison, Kieran Culkin, Zoe Saldaña, Javier Bardem, Chris Evans, Demi Moore, Maya Rudolph, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Hathaway, Paul Mescal, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Only two nominated songs will be performed at the 2026 Oscars: "Golden" from K-Pop Demon Hunters and "I Lied To You" from Sinners, featuring Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq on stage.
The Sinners musical performance will serve as a tribute to Black artistry across generations and genres, and will include ballerina Misty Copeland, rocker Brittany Howard, and blues and jazz musicians like Eric Gales, Bobby Rush, and Alice Smith. The 2026 Oscars is live now — tune in on ABC or stream on Hulu to catch every moment.
