Conan O'Brien Oscars 2026 Monologue Review: Some Sharp Jabs And A Heartfelt Call For Hope

Hosting the Academy Awards is no easy task, and hosting it well is a genuine feat in the best of times. Conan O'Brien, the host for 2025, is back for a second bout at the 98th Annual Academy Awards Ceremony, but how did his opening monologue go? Even compared to last year, the world has gotten more chaotic and political tensions around the globe have risen, making goofy jokes harder to land and social commentary more potentially pointed, but O'Brien was characteristically up to the task. 

After a kooky opening that one-upped last year's sandworm-co-starring madness and featured O'Brien being thrown from the car Benicio del Toro drives in "One Battle After Another" and then chased into the Dolby Theatre by the kids from "Weapons," the comedian and former late night host launched into a monologue that balanced brilliant acidic barbs and some serious, earnest thoughts. There was one easy crack at Timothée Chalamet's expense as O'Brien joked that security had to be heightened because of the heightened threat of attacks from the "opera and ballet communities" (Chalamet comments on the two art forms in interviews have sparked some online outrage), but otherwise the jokes were a little edgier than your average Oscars telecast. Few comedians have O'Brien's ability to jump from harsh satire to heartfelt honesty in mere seconds, and his 2026 Oscars opening monologue was a fantastic example of his skills.

Conan O'Brien did a pretty great job of hosting the Oscars in 2025, but he stepped it up a notch for 2026. His opening monologue took a few jabs at conservatives, warning people that "some jokes might get political" but that there was an "alternative Oscars" hosted by Kid Rock, referencing the alternative Super Bowl halftime show created for those who couldn't handle Bad Bunny's Spanish-language brilliance. He also took a jab at those in the Epstein Files, noting that while there were no British best actor or actress nominees, they also "arrested their pedophiles." 

Though Conan is best known for his acerbic wit and committing to the bit even when it's detrimental to his health (seriously, his "Hot Ones" episode nearly broke the format), he took a moment during the monologue to get serious, saying: 

"Tonight is an international event. If I can be serious for just a moment, everyone watching right now around the world is all too aware that these are very chaotic, frightening times. [...] Every film we salute is the product of thousands of people speaking different languages working hard to make something of beauty. 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. So let us please celebrate. Not because we think all is well, but because we work and hope for better."

By getting heartfelt for a second, O'Brien helped remind us what matters most: not the awards, not even the movies, but the way art can connect us all. He's a phenomenal host, and hopefully the Academy keeps bringing him back for hosting duties as long as he wants.