Conan O’Brien takes dig at Adrien Brody after being announced host of 2026 Oscars

Conan O’Brien will once again have the opportunity to roast Hollywood’s biggest movie stars at the 2026 Oscars.

The 61-year-old comedian, who earlier this month made his Oscars hosting debut, has been tapped to return to the stage next year.

“The only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech,” O’Brien teased in a statement.

Brody, 51, took home the Best Actor trophy for his lead role in The Brutalist at the 97th Academy Awards, where he brushed off the allotted 45-second time limit to deliver a record-breaking five-minute and 40-second acceptance speech.

In addition to O’Brien, producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan have also been confirmed to lead the show for the third consecutive year.

“We are thrilled to bring back Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff and Mike for the 98th Oscars!” Academy CEO Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a joint statement.

“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.”

The former Late Night host’s performance at the 2025 Oscars was well-received by critics and viewers, with The Independent’s Adam White applauding O’Brien for a “brilliant turn.”

“Featuring digs at controversial Emilia Perez star Karla Sofia Gascon and a Dune sandworm playing the piano, the comedian’s opening run of zingers made up for years of plodding mediocrity from Jimmy Kimmel,” he declared.

During a recent episode of his Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast, O’Brien revealed the surprising rules around the treatment of the Oscar statuette.

Eager to put his spin on his opening monologue, O’Brien shared that he pitched several skits to the organizing committee that were rebuffed because they’d be considered too disrespectful to the trophies.

“At one point, I thought wouldn’t it be great if it’s just on the couch,” he recalled. “Let’s lay it on a really big couch and I’ll be vacuuming and say, ‘Could you at least lift your feet? Or could you at least get up and help? Load the dishwasher?’”

However, O’Brien and his team were told they couldn’t because the Oscar couldn’t be horizontal.

“One of the people from the Academy came forward and said, ‘Oscar can never be horizontal.’ And that blew my mind. Like, wow, this is like the thigh bone of St. Peter. This is a religious icon.”

The 2026 Oscars will again take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026.