Conan O’Brien has been confirmed to host the Oscars again next year, and fans have expressed their delight at the news.
The Academy took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to announce the news with an image of Conan, 61, wearing a tuxedo and clutching one of the coveted gold statuettes.
They wrote alongside the image: ‘Forget the pot of gold—this St. Patrick’s Day, we’re giving you something even better. @ConanOBrien is officially returning to host the 98th Oscars!’
The 98th annual Academy Awards will take place on March 15, 2026 in the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and will air on ABC.
Users were quick to reply to the post as one person said: ‘Sign him up for the next decade. He’s the host you’ve been looking for ever since Billy hung up his hat,’ referring to Billy Crystal.
A second agreed and said: ‘Make him permanent host. Eternal host. Even his skeleton would be better than 99.9 percent of previous hosts.’
Conan O’Brien has been confirmed to host the Oscars again next year. He is seen here at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2
The Academy announced the news for 2026 on X on March 17 alongside a photo of Conan dressed in a tuxedo
Some fans were delighted at the news and called for the comedian to be a ‘permanent’ host of the Oscars
A third commented: ‘Good – I thought he was a great host tbh. Funny but didn’t go over the top just to make a headline,’ and a fourth wrote: ‘Yes, this is something we can definitely get behind!’
A fifth person replied: ‘Yah! He was excellent. Funny, poignant, very little politics! Way better than the past several hosts.’
Someone else claimed: ‘He should remain the host as long as he’s interested in doing it,’ and another added: ‘Yayyy Conan is the best to host #Oscars.’
A different person posted: ‘If there’s one person who can make a three-hour show entertaining, it’s Conan O’Brien!’
However, the reaction wasn’t all positive and some viewers were not so thrilled at the news.
One person simply wrote: ‘NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!’ while a second added: ‘No, please, no.’
A third said: ‘He better not be bad like last time the only good thing he did last time was diss Drake.’
A fourth posted: ‘He was not even funny,’ and a fifth person fumed: ‘Who gives a s**t!’
One X user claimed that Conan wasn’t even funny at this year’s Oscars while another said the ‘only good thing’ he did was a ‘diss’ at Drake
‘After he bombed this last one?! Pfffft’ someone else said, and another person added: ‘Conan is a talented guy. But what a fraud.’
Someone else claimed: ‘Until the people who decide who wins the award are changed, the Oscars credibility is gonna remain in the drain.’
In a statement to People, Conan – who shocked viewers with a crude joke about Drake at this year’s ceremony – said: ‘The only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech.’
His joke was a reference to the actor’s lengthy acceptance speech on March 2 that went on for five minutes and 36 seconds, which is well past the Academy’s 45-second time limit.
Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will be back as executive producers for the third consecutive year.
Meanwhile, Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney will produce for the second time. Mike will be pulling double duty as a producer and writer.
‘We are thrilled to bring back Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff and Mike for the 98th Oscars!’ Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement.
The pair continued: ‘This year, they produced a hugely entertaining and visually stunning show that celebrated our nominees and the global film community in the most beautiful and impactful way.
‘Conan was the perfect host — skillfully guiding us through the evening with humor, warmth and reverence. It is an honor to be working with them again.’