With just over a week to go until Hollywood's biggest night, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled another wave of star power set to take the stage at the 98th Academy Awards. The latest presenter lineup includes Oscar winners Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Downey Jr. , and Anne Hathaway, alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas and recent Best Actor nominee Paul Mescal .
The ceremony, set for Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, will be hosted by Conan O'Brien in his first Oscars hosting gig . ABC will broadcast the event live, with the official red carpet preshow beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT .

A Star-Studded Presenter Roster
The newly announced presenters join a lineup that already includes some of the biggest names in entertainment:
Gwyneth Paltrow, who won the Best Actress Oscar for Shakespeare in Love in 1999, returns to the Oscars stage nearly three decades after her historic win .
Robert Downey Jr. , last year's Best Supporting Actor winner for Oppenheimer, will present at the ceremony following his first competitive Oscar victory .
Anne Hathaway, the 2012 Best Supporting Actress winner for Les Misérables, adds her name to the growing list of past winners returning to celebrate this year's nominees .

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the global icon and producer, continues her long-standing relationship with the Academy after previous presenting appearances .
Paul Mescal, fresh off his 2025 Best Actor nomination for Aftersun, represents the new generation of talent following his breakout success .
They join previously announced presenters including Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Robert Downey Jr. , and last year's acting winners . The Academy has also confirmed that Joe Alwyn, Sterling K. Brown, Willem Dafoe, Ana de Armas, Lily-Rose Depp, Selena Gomez, Goldie Hawn, Scarlett Johansson, Dwayne Johnson, Ke Huy Quan, June Squibb, Anya Taylor-Joy, Naomi Watts, and Kate Winslet will appear throughout the evening .

The Host with the Most
This year's ceremony marks Conan O'Brien's debut as Oscars host. The beloved comedian and former late-night host has been preparing extensively, telling reporters he's "honored" to be leading the show. "The Oscar telecast is the grandest stage of them all, and I'm humbled to be asked to host," O'Brien said in a statement following his appointment .

Best Picture Showdown
The presenters will hand out awards in 23 categories, with the Best Picture race shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent memory. Ryan Coogler's Sinners leads all nominees with a historic 16 nominations, breaking the record previously held by Titanic and La La Land .
However, Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another has dominated the precursor awards, winning Best Picture at both the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards . The nearly three-hour epic starring Leonardo DiCaprio has emerged as the frontrunner, though Sinners' record-breaking nomination haul suggests a potential upset .

International Flavor
This year's ceremony also celebrates global cinema, with Brazil's The Secret Agent (98% on Seriezhub) and Norway's Sentimental Value (96%) both nominated for Best Picture . The latter features Elle Fanning in a supporting role that earned the 27-year-old her first Academy Award nomination .

Musical Performances
The Academy has also announced that this year's Best Original Song nominees will be performed live during the ceremony. The slate includes tracks from Sinners, One Battle After Another, and the critically acclaimed Marty Supreme .

How to Watch
The 98th Academy Awards will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The ceremony will also stream on Hulu Live TV and be available the following day on the platform . International broadcast partners vary by region .
Red carpet coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT on ABC, with additional pre-show content streaming across multiple platforms .