Conan O’Brien made his debut at the 2025 Oscars, where he became widely popular with audiences, and secured Conan’s return to host the 2026 Oscars ceremony. This is a momentous occasion, given the seemingly unbreakable nature of a hosting streak, that proves it won’t end anytime soon. The veteran comedian’s performance was the most prominent praise in 2025 Oscars reviews, and resulted in the highest ratings the Academy Awards have seen in the past five years.

Between the announcements of winners at the 2025 Academy Awards, Conan transformed the ceremony with his expertly crafted comedic hosting and the self-deprecating humor he’s become known for. The event benefited from a fresh approach after historically facing challenges in securing hosts, and Conan’s new era has made it clear that the ceremony’s success hinges on the performance of the central host. Conan’s participation in the 2026 event will reignite the ceremony’s momentum, and not only ensure its continued success, but provide a vital stage for comedians.

A Major Actor Hasn’t Hosted The Oscars In 10 Years Now

Chris Rock Was The Last Actor To Solo Host The Prestigious Event

Conan O’Brien’s return to the 2026 Oscars event is significant considering the lineup of hosts for the event in recent years. Strangely, the Academy Awards have not had an actor to host since 2016. Chris Rock took the stage for the 88th ceremony where he had success with tackling the lack of diversity in the nominations. Rock was reportedly asked to return in 2023, though he turned down the invitation following the controversy with Will Smith the year prior (via Vanity Fair.) Jimmy Kimmel hosted the two years after 2016, but otherwise, there has been no singular A-List host.

Interestingly, the Academy Awards ceremony went without a host for three years, from 2019 to 2021. The abrupt decision was initially the consequence of Kevin Hart withdrawing from the Oscars in 2019 following backlash over a series of online tweets, which resulted in the unsuccessful quest to find a host for the ceremony. Strangely enough, the designated hosts directly after this stint were Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes during the global pandemic in 2022. It’s fair to say that this dynamic trio was poorly received, and the duty was returned to Kimmel for the 2023 and 2024 ceremonies.

Hosting The Oscars Has Become An Unwanted Gig For Major Stars

The Duty Has Become Too High Pressure For Any Actor

There have been plenty of reports of numerous actors who have been approached to host the event but have declined. According to Rob Lowe, the Academy Awards are “basically a show that nobody wants to do. It’s really sad. But honestly, they’ve got nobody to blame but themselves” (via Vanity Fair.) There appears to be a consensus within the industry that hosting is a “thankless job,” although a great number of actors have been approached for the event. Not to mention, the job carries an excalating risk due to its high potential for failure, which often leads to severe criticism of the hosts.

In the past, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has been approached to take the mantle, joining Hart. Although Johnson was eager to host before scheduling conflicts for Jumanji, other A-Listers have been more explicitly firm in their refusal. Emily Blunt is perhaps the most definitive example, who told Variety, “I would not [host the Oscars]. That would be the depths of hell for me.” The combination of heightened social media scrutiny with decline in viewership has made the task less desirable for these major stars, meaning that the vast majority of stars who have been approached have pᴀssed on the opportunity.

The Era Of A-List Stars Hosting The Oscars Is Probably Over

The Role Has Become More Acclimatized To Comedians

Needless to say, Conan did a superb job hosting the 2025 Oscars. This marks the first time the comedian spearheaded the event and the role seemed tailor-made for him. Conan’s approach was to “infuse the show with positivity,” according to The New York Times, which was exactly what the event needed. Before this, Kimmel was an increasingly safe bet, and reliable enough to sanction two consecutive years of hosting and four in total. The event has not had a successful a-lister for a long time, and it’s clear that the academy has been drifting from this for several years.

Other award ceremonies appear to be emulating the Academy’s trend, too. Nikki Glaser recently had an incredibly successful run at the Golden Globes and has been asked to return to host the 2026 ceremony. The spotlight at these ceremonies is shifting towards comedians, used as a platform to perform for an event of immense scale and reach. The shift towards comedic hosts is more appropriate, since hosting needs to engage the audiences and means that actors can remain at the forefront of the Oscars ceremony.

Source: Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair, The New York Times

Oscars

8/10

Location

Los Angeles, CA

Dates

March 2, 2025

Network

ABC

Website

https://www.oscars.org/