Overview
- Jessie Buckley enters the ceremony as the near-lock for Best Actress after wins at the Golden Globes, BAFTA, the Actor Awards and Critics’ Choice for Hamnet.
- Best Picture remains a two-film contest, with Sinners riding a record 16 nominations and a late-season ensemble win, and One Battle After Another buoyed by strong guild support.
- Conan O’Brien returns as host for the 98th Academy Awards, airing at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming on Hulu from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
- Organizers tightened security in coordination with the FBI and LAPD following a federal warning concerning California, though authorities cited no specific credible threat to the Oscars.
- The Academy’s online ballot now tracks whether members streamed each film, as several other acting categories — notably Best Actor — remain too close to call.