We Must Survive Until 2026 to Watch Conan Host the Oscars Again

There’s a good chance you’ve wanted to scream lately. You know why. I don’t have to spend the beginning of this article reiterating things you’ve had to read or see ad nauseam this weekend (or already this morning). But this year has been ass, no one is denying that (except for like five white dudes). Terrible stuff has been happening, and it’s not just because of political asshatery. However, there have been bright spots this year and few have been brighter than a giant, orange, magnificent man hosting one of the most storied nights in Hollywood.

Conan O’Brien hosted the Oscars this year and it went off without a hitch. The longtime host took jabs at celebrities and himself. He paraded a puppet sandworm on stage to play various instruments. Hell, he helped keep the Kendrick/Drake feud alive with a one-liner. There was song and dance and several pairs of pants. The night had it all despite Conan recently revealing that he got the gig fairly last minute. But, since he knocked it out of the park, ABC has asked him to do it again.

It was announced today that Conan O’Brien will host the 98th Academy Awards on March 15th, 2026. “The only reason I’m hosting The Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech,” O’Brien joked as part of the announcement. Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will return as producers of the show for the third consecutive year. It’s hard to fathom what the show will involve as Oscar season hasn’t even kicked off yet, but at the very least the show can fix one of its only mistakes from this year: no Sona Movsesian (she was there, Conan, bring her onstage!).

Interestingly enough, Conan may pull double duty at next year’s big awards show. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is a new movie written and directed by Mary Bronstein and starring Rose Byrne. O’Brien appears alongside Byrne as her hostile therapist. The film premiered at Sundance in January to rave reviews and those reviews also praised Conan’s performance. He could go from introducing the Masturbating Bear to accepting an Oscar statue (if we are lucky).

It’s important to set goals to make it through difficult times and seeing Conan host the Oscars for a second time just jumped to the top of that list. Would I also like to make it to March 2026 to see my children turn five? Sure! Of course. But that’ll be after Conan hosts and I fall into a deep depression wondering what else is there. Then I’ll take solace in watching my children grow or whatever. And then, ideally, I’ll get lifted back up by another Conan hosting announcement. I think I’ve earned it.