The news came during Disney’s annual upfront presentation in New York, where it was revealed that the creative braintrust behind O’Brien’s two previous Oscars—executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan, producer Jeff Ross, and producer/head writer Mike Sweeney—will return as well. And if The A.V. Club may be so bold as to make a suggestion to the Academy: If you really want to keep the magic of the last two years going, hire Podcast: The Ride co-host Scott Gairdner as segment director again, and get Toast Of London’s Matt Berry back in the announcer’s booth. Stop worrying about making the Oscars relevant to the widest possible audience—keep setting up memorable moments like O’Brien being chased down by the Weapons kids and Berry putting that signature Steven Toast mustard on words like “Burger King.”
O’Brien’s third time on the Dolby Theatre stage puts him in league with Steve Martin, David Niven, Jerry Lewis, and Conrad Nagel, all of whom hit the Oscars trifecta prior to the late-night veteran. He’ll have to emcee 17 more times to best Bob Hope’s record for most Oscars hosted—but considering the popularity of Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend and Clueless Gamer on YouTube, he has a pretty good shot at competing with Hope after the ceremony moves to the video-sharing platform in 2029.
The 99th Academy Awards will air live on ABC Sunday, March 14, 2027.
Keep scrolling for more great stories.