Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Andrew Sanford | News | January 22, 2026
I’m in the bag for Conan O’Brien, man. He makes me laugh more than most other people, seems like a real sweet guy, and has managed to be a white, male comic who has gotten more progressive with age. He listens. It rules. All of that is to say that, of course, I loved O’Brien’s stint hosting the Oscars last year. It was the hardest I’d laughed during the ceremony in some time, and I’m a sucker for award show banter. But I will totally admit my bias when I say that, this time, it just hit different.
So, of course, I was overjoyed when it was announced that Conan would be returning to host the show again. The decision came hot on the heels of his first stint. So, while exciting, it did mean that there would be some waiting involved. It kind of moved to the back of my mind as I concerned myself with political unrest at home and abroad, and financial struggles that can be expected when trying to raise a family. You know, when you have kids, certain sacrifices must be— Wait, forget all that, we’re close to the Oscars now!
Nominations for the Academy Awards hit the web today, and I assume they are a doozy. Congrats to [insert movie name here], right?! Hey, it’s about time, [actor who has been in the game for decades but finally got their first nomination]. Looking good, [Ryan Coogler]! In anticipation of the announcement and the awards, Conan sat down with GMA to discuss his return, and the chat is a hilarious sign of things to come. To say that the former late-night host hardly took it seriously would be an understatement.
“Yeah, mostly cosmetic,” Conan responded when asked if he’d done any work to prepare for the ceremony. “I wanna look like Oscar on Oscar night. Yeah, so I’ve had a lot of areas smoothed.” A perfectly smooth, golden Conan is a gift society needs at this time. He was also asked whether he would incorporate his former co-host and ABC superstar, Andy Richter, into the show, to which O’Brien joked that he signed Richter to a 15-year contract after his success on Dancing with the Stars.
O’Brien also reflected on the use of the sandworm from Dune, which appeared in a musical capacity at last year’s ceremony. It was a true highlight, and Conan mentioned that the puppet was then moved to the Academy Museum, which is pretty fantastic. Any host that has to follow O’Brien is going to have a difficult time, if that ever happens. Regardless, when the show moves to YouTube in 2029, I’m sure the 20-year-old I’ve never heard of who goes by their screenname will try their hardest.
