Oscars 2026: The Best And Worst Moments

Hollywood's biggest night rarely goes exactly as planned.

Sunday's Oscars ceremony was, as usual, one to remember, with Conan O'Brien returning for his second consecutive year as host and presiding over a night filled with emotional wins, powerful performances — and yes, a few stumbles along the way.

Among the highlights: O'Brien's gleefully absurd cold open channeling Amy Madigan's Oscar-winning performance as Aunt Gladys in "Weapons," a show-stopping musical tribute to "Sinners," and a monologue packed with zingers (including one aimed squarely at "Marty Supreme" star Timothée Chalamet). But the telecast — as well as ABC's red carpet pre-show — also gave us a few head-scratching moments, from a painfully wrong on-screen celebrity ID to some not-so-subtle corporate cross-promotion.

Read on to see TVLine's picks for the best and worst moments from Sunday's Oscars, then drop a comment with your own favorite moments (for better or worse) below.

Ahead of the 2025 Oscars, ABC's red carpet pre-show misidentified Rachel Sennott as Rachel Zegler. But at least in that instance, they got the first name right! This year, the broadcast identified Kirsten Dunst as... Kathy Bates.

Maybe the control room got confused because their first names both start with K? Yeah... no. This one's just embarrassing. — Ryan Schwartz

We couldn't help but guffaw when the ceremony's cold open saw host Conan O'Brien donning Amy Madigan's outlandish make-up and wig from Zach Cregger's "Weapons." With Gladys' rosy cheeks and thick, dark eye shadow smeared all over his face, the clownish O'Brien barged his way through scenes from other Oscar-nominated films, as a cavalcade of kids chased him throughout the sets. Coco leaped out of Benicio del Toro's moving vehicle (a nod to Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another") and performed an Irish jig outside of the juke joint from "Sinners." (No surprise here — they didn't let him in.) 

The entire opening delivered big laughs as the lanky host committed 100% to the bit, which spilled out into the aisles of Los Angeles' Dolby Theater. When the comedian finally hit the stage (sans Gladys' signature cosmetics), the audience was warmed up and ready to go. Who ever thought "Weapons" could be that funny? — Nick Caruso

"Security is extremely tight tonight," O'Brien warned up front. "I'm told there's concerns about attacks from both the ballet and opera communities." Like clockwork, the telecast cut to Timothée Chalamet in the audience, who had to know he'd be taking a little heat during the monologue. And he was in good company. O'Brien also acknowledged that Ted Sarandos was in attendance, noting that this was the Netflix CEO's "first time in a theater."

There were also a number of pretty spectacular dad jokes. Case in point: "Between 'Hamnet' and 'Bugonia,' it's been a big year for films that sound like off-brand lunch meat." Not long after: "'F1' did so well, they're making a sequel — 'Caps Lock.'" Visual gags were plentiful, too — like Michael B. Jordan, who played twins in "Sinners," being cast as every seat filler — along with a moment of genuine sentiment amid the current chaos: "We pay tribute tonight, not just to film, but to the ideals of global artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience, and that rarest of qualities today: optimism." — R.S.

Heads turned a few weeks ago when it was announced that the Academy Awards would be leaving their longtime home on ABC and moving to YouTube in 2029. Even though Hollywood's biggest night will remain on linear television for a couple more years, O'Brien couldn't resist speculating about what the broadcast might look like once it lands on the video platform.

"Some people are worried this will change how the Oscars are viewed, but I've been assured that—" But before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by an unskippable ad featuring none other than Jane Lynch, pitching the BeamPro Tactical Flashlight. Moments later, he was interrupted again — this time with Lynch serving as spokesperson for a local law firm. — R.S.

Led by "Sinners" star Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq, a bevy of musicians graced the Oscars stage to recreate the film's unforgettable "Pierce the Veil" sequence. The assortment of talent on display was absolutely wowing. Christone "Kingfish" Ingram (who also appeared in the movie), Buddy Guy, Alabama Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard, Shaboozey, Alice Smith, Eric Gales, and Bobby Rush were all on hand to help bring the dazzling and historical scene to life. 

More of the movie's actors, including Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, and Jack O'Connell, floated throughout the scene, as dancers leaped, twirled, and boogied down, showcasing their skills and representing different eras of Black culture. The entire affair expertly mirrored the magic that director Ryan Coogler captured in the film. And those last few high notes Caton seemingly hit with ease? Simply divine. — N.C.

The fact that both "The Devil Wears Prada" star Anne Hathaway and Vogue legend Anna Wintour (on whom the character of Miranda Priestly was based) wore outfits featuring flowers had to be a sly callback to the movie and/or its upcoming sequel, right? And how hard did you giggle when Wintour a) opted out of commenting on Hathaway's choice of dress, and b) called Hathaway "Emily" — a nod to their "Prada" co-star Emily Blunt? — Kim Roots

At first, we couldn't figure out exactly why the ceremony's director decided to cut away to O'Brien during Alexandre Singh's speech after his "Two People Exchanging Saliva" tied "The Singers" for Best Live Action Short Film. But then O'Brien's shocked commentary let us know: The show's Powers That Be had started pulling the mic back into the stage, and dimming the lights, before Singh finished his remarks. Uncool, Oscars. What, was playing him off too subtle? — K.R.

"It's been widely reported that some studios are now insisting filmmakers repeat information and restate the plot several times in their movies in order to accommodate the modern movie viewer who's half-watching because they're distracted by their phones. Some people are upset about this, but I don't think it's a big deal," O'Brien argued.

To make his case, he enlisted "Paradise" star Sterling K. Brown to recreate a scene from "Casablanca" — with O'Brien as Rick and Brown as Sam — repeatedly spelling out the plot for a Gen Z audience. By the end of the bit, even viewers who'd never seen the 1942 classic could probably tell you exactly how the whole thing plays out. — R.S.

Look, we get it. The Oscars air on Disney-owned ABC — for now, anyway — and Disney has films to promote. We're not convinced whatever bit they had Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans do with Channing Tatum (or, as Downey accidentally called him, "Tanning Chatum") is going to sell many tickets to "Avengers: Doomsday," but fine — cross-promotion is part of the deal.

What we can't get over is the extended bit involving Grogu and Pedro Pascal... immediately followed by a commercial for "The Mandalorian & Grogu." Subtlety was clearly not the goal. — R.S.

Rose Byrne, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, and Ellie Kemper reunited to celebrate 15 years of the Paul Feig comedy, but not every joke landed as hard as we'd hoped. Expectations were perhaps high for this comedy quintet, but while presenting the Oscar for Best Score, quips about the movie being shot in 1883 landed with a thud. (Fifteen years is not that long ago, people.)

Other aspects of this whole shebang also felt stale, like when the women received notes mid-presentation from Stellan Skarsgård suggesting that the ladies were aging well. Eh. And Rose Byrne's faux note about staring at Leo too much also felt... fine? By the time Wiig opened Benecio del Toro's note that "this bit could've been a lot shorter," we couldn't have agreed more. — N.C.

After Billy Crystal's touching homage to the late Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, the ceremony's in-memoriam segment continued to add personal touches that tugged at our heartstrings. Rachel McAdams took the mic to recognize her fellow Canadian, Catherine O'Hara, touting that, "she made us laugh until we cried." The "Family Stone" star then turned her attention toward her on-screen mom, Diane Keaton: "Believe me when I say there isn't an actress in my generation who isn't inspired by and enthralled with her absolute singularity," said McAdams. "She wore so many hats — literally and figuratively. She meant so much to so many of us."

Afterward, the legendary Barbra Streisand took the stage to share her feelings for her beloved "The Way We Were" co-star, Robert Redford. She even unleashed a few notes from the film's song of the same name. (You guys: Barbra. Sang!) Hearing from those who shared the screen with the stars we lost helped remind us of the late actors' irreplaceable talents, and gave the icons just a little bit more time in the spotlight... and in our hearts. — N.C.

"Sinners" director of photography Autumn Durald Arkapaw made Oscars history as the first woman to ever win the Academy Award for Best Cinematography — and to hear her tell it, she didn't get there alone. After singling out her son, her mother and director Ryan Coogler, among others, Arkapaw asked that "all the women in the room stand up because I feel like I don't get here without you guys. I really, fully, truly mean that." The broadcast then cut to a wide shot of women rising to their feet across the theater — a powerful image on a night already full of milestones. — R.S.