Oscars 2026: How to watch and what to expect

Irish actress Jessie Buckley is the favourite to win best actress for her performance in Hamnet

Hollywood stars are gearing up for Sunday night's Oscars, in an exciting year for the awards race where several categories are too close to call.

Political thriller One Battle After Another is the favourite to win best picture, but it faces tough competition from vampire horror Sinners, which has a record-breaking 16 nominations.

Irish star Jessie Buckley is considered the firm frontrunner to win best actress for her performance in Hamnet.

But the other acting races are tighter, with stars such as Michael B Jordan, Timothée Chalamet, Amy Madigan, Wunmi Mosaku and Sean Penn all in contention.

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Here's everything you need to know ahead of Sunday's ceremony.

How to watch the Oscars 2026

Conan O'Brien is returning to host after his successful stint in 2025

The Academy Awards will be broadcast on ITV in the UK, with red carpet coverage starting at 22:15 GMT before the ceremony kicks off at 23:00 GMT.

The unusually early start is down to a combination of the ceremony being an hour earlier than it used to be, as well as the clocks having already changed in the US but not the UK.

For US viewers, the ceremony begins at 16:00 PT/19:00 ET, and can be watched on ABC and streamed on Hulu.

Who is presenting the Oscars?

Conan O'Brien is returning to hosting duties this year, after a barnstorming performance in 2025 where he performed comedic musical numbers and affectionately roasted the nominees in his opening monologue.

Several guest stars have also been enlisted to give out some of the statuettes throughout the night.

Actors who appear in some of this year's major films but weren't nominated individually have been invited to present awards, such as Paul Mescal (Hamnet), Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another) and Gwyneth Paltrow (Marty Supreme).

Other category presenters will include Nicole Kidman, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Robert Downey Jr, Anne Hathaway and Chris Evans, as well as last year's quartet of acting winners - Adrien Brody, Mikey Madison, Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña.

Which films are the frontrunners?

One Battle After Another stars Teyana Taylor (left) and Chase Infiniti (right) with director Paul Thomas Anderson

There might be 10 films nominated for best picture, but the race for the top category has boiled down to two films - political thriller One Battle After Another and vampire horror Sinners.

One Battle is the clear frontrunner after a string of big wins at precursor ceremonies, and its director Paul Thomas Anderson is widely predicted to finally win his first Oscar for directing.

But there is also huge passion within the Academy for Sinners. Director Ryan Coogler is widely respected for what he was able to pull off with the film, which has a whopping 16 nominations. Don't bet against a Sinners surprise on the night.

Sinners star Michael B Jordan and ballet sceptic Timothée Chalamet are considered the two best actor frontrunners

Best actor is one of the most interesting acting races this year, and in recent weeks has been veering all over the place like a broken shopping trolley.

The Golden Globes went with The Secret Agent's Wagner Moura from its drama category and Marty Supreme's Timothée Chalamet for musical or comedy, a prize the 30-year-old also won at the Critics Choice Awards.

Bafta threw us a real curveball, opting for I Swear's Robert Aramayo, who isn't even nominated at the Oscars (the film hasn't yet been released in the US), while the Actor Awards went with Sinners star Michael B Jordan.

The late surge of momentum for Jordan puts him in a strong position ahead of the Oscars, but this is a wobbly and wide open category.

Best actress is much easier to predict, with Jessie Buckley almost certain to win for Hamnet after dominating the category throughout awards season.

Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners) and Amy Madigan (Weapons) are both strong in the supporting actress category

Last year's supporting actor and actress races were fairly predictable - with Culkin and Saldaña sweeping the two categories across the season.

In contrast, this year's supporting races have been a rollercoaster ride. Frankenstein's Jacob Elordi won best supporting actor at the Critics Choice Awards, while Sentimental Value's Stellan Skarsgård picked up the Golden Globe.