98th Academy Awards facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 98th Academy Awards
Official poster
Date	March 15, 2026
Site	Dolby Theatre Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Hosted by	Conan O'Brien
Produced by	Raj Kapoor Katy Mullan
Highlights
Most nominations	Sinners (16)
TV in the United States
Network	Broadcast: ABC Streaming: Hulu
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The 98th Academy Awards are a special event where the best movies of 2025 are celebrated! The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) gives out these famous awards, also known as the Oscars. This exciting ceremony will happen on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California.

During the show, Oscars will be given in 24 different categories. You can watch the ceremony live on ABC in the United States or stream it on Hulu. The funny comedian Conan O'Brien is hosting the show again, after everyone loved him last year! Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan are also back as the main producers, making sure everything runs smoothly.

Before the main event, the Academy already held its 16th Governors Awards on November 16, 2025. These awards honor people for their amazing careers. Also, the Academy Scientific and Technical Awards, which celebrate movie magic behind the scenes, will be given out on April 28, 2026.

For these awards, the Academy has new rules. All members must watch every nominated movie before they vote for the winners. This year is extra special because there's a brand new award: Best Casting! This brings the total number of competitive Oscar categories to 24.

Important Dates for the 98th Academy Awards

Here are some key dates for the 98th Academy Awards:

Who Are the Nominees?

The exciting list of nominees for the 98th Academy Awards was revealed on January 22, 2026. Actress Danielle Brooks and actor Lewis Pullman announced them from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The movie Sinners made history with an incredible 16 nominations! This is the most nominations any film has ever received at the Oscars, beating previous records held by famous movies like Titanic. It also set a new record for the most Black individuals nominated for a single film, with ten nominations.

Many talented people achieved special milestones this year:

• Wagner Moura is the first Brazilian actor nominated for Best Actor.
• At 30, Timothée Chalamet became one of the youngest actors to get three acting nominations.
• Emma Stone, at 37, is now the second-youngest person to receive seven career nominations, following Walt Disney. She's nominated for Best Picture and Best Actress.
• Stellan Skarsgård is the first actor nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for a movie not in English.
• Autumn Durald Arkapaw is the first woman of color nominated for Best Cinematography.
• Chloé Zhao is the first woman of color, and only the second woman ever, to be nominated for Best Directing twice.

Celebrating the Best Films: Award Categories

The Academy Awards celebrate excellence in filmmaking across many different areas. The winners will be announced at the ceremony on March 15, 2026. When they are revealed, winners will be shown first, in bold letters, and marked with a double dagger (‡).

Here are the categories for the 98th Academy Awards:

Special Honors: The Governors Awards

The Academy also gives out special awards called the Governors Awards. These were presented on November 16, 2025, to honor people for their incredible contributions to movies over their careers.

Academy Honorary Awards

• Debbie Allen: Honored as a amazing choreographer and actor whose work has entertained many generations.
• Tom Cruise: Recognized for his strong dedication to filmmaking, the movie theater experience, and incredible stunts.
• Wynn Thomas: Celebrated as a production designer who has brought many memorable films to life with his creative vision.

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

• Dolly Parton: A beloved performer who received this award for her constant dedication to helping others through charity work.

Movies with Many Nominations

About the Ceremony

Conan O'Brien is hosting the 98th Academy Awards.

In March 2025, the Academy chose Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan to produce the 2026 ceremony for the third year in a row. Comedian and former talk show host Conan O'Brien is hosting the event for the second year in a row. Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney, who often work with O'Brien, are also returning as producers and writers.

Bill Kramer, CEO of AMPAS, and Janet Yang, President of AMPAS, shared their excitement. They said that last year's show was very entertaining and celebrated movies beautifully. They praised Conan as the perfect host, guiding everyone with humor and warmth.

Kapoor and Mullan also expressed how honored they are to return. They are looking forward to working with Conan and his team to celebrate next year's nominees and the global impact of film.

A New Award: Best Casting

Starting with this ceremony, the AMPAS is introducing a brand new award! This award will honor casting directors. These are the talented people who find the perfect actors for every role in a movie. The Academy Award for Best Casting is the first new Oscar category since Best Animated Feature was added in 2001.

The Academy announced this new category on February 8, 2024. They stated that casting directors play a very important role in making films. The nominees for this award will be chosen by the Casting Directors Branch within the Academy. This branch was created in July 2013.

See also

In Spanish: 98.ª edición de los Premios Óscar para niños

• List of submissions to the 98th Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature
• List of submissions to the 98th Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature
• List of submissions to the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film