Conan O’Brien will return to the Oscars in 2026. Is hosting an awards show no longer Hollywood’s most thankless job?

Hollywood seems to have gotten over its case of awards show hosting phobia.

The academy announced March 17 that Conan O’Brien will make an encore as host of the 2026 Academy Awards. The comedian’s performance at this year’s ceremony was well-received by critics — and viewers tuned in to see how he’d do.

While he wasn’t allowed to dress up an Oscar or lay it on a couch for the show, the first-time host hit the right notes. In the press release announcing his return, O’Brien joked that “the only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech.” (Somewhere, at this very moment, Brody is still delivering his record-breaking speech.)

The hosting news — as well as the date of the show, March 15, 2026 — comes early considering O’Brien didn’t sign on to this year’s ceremony until November. However, it follows last week’s announcement that Nikki Glaser will be back as Golden Globes host in 2026. Like O’Brien, she was viewed as a breath of fresh air — though some of the stars she roasted may disagree.

For the honchos making the decisions about hosts, striking while the iron is hot makes a lot of sense, especially because it’s been hard to fill these roles in recent years. Prior to O’Brien saying yes to this year’s ceremony, Jimmy Kimmel, Steve Martin and John Mulaney were some of the comedians to say no. Kevin Hart said that he’s permanently on the no list after being asked to host the 2019 ceremony and then facing backlash over past stand-up clips and stepping down.

“They say it’s a thankless job and I wouldn’t necessarily describe it like that, because when it goes well, it isn’t,” Kimmel, who hosted the show four times (2017, 2018, 2023 and 2024), said last year. “But if it’s not, it’s a tough spot to be in.”

Kimmel also revealed the underwhelming (by Hollywood standards) paycheck of approximately $15,000 for the time-consuming gig.

Glaser was reportedly paid more for the Globes — $400,000 — which makes sense because no one wanted the job when that awards show returned in 2024 after controversy. (Jo Koy took one for the team that year — agreeing to host just weeks before after producers exhausted all other options — and he paid for it.) That said, Glaser was paid less than male hosts. She’s expected to get a raise in 2026.

Will Packer, who produced the Oscars in 2022, told Los Angeles Magazine that while being Oscar host used to be “one of the most coveted jobs in Hollywood,” in recent years, “a lot of Hollywood talent feel like [it’s] a no-win proposition.” The show has declined in ratings in recent years — even though O’Brien saw a boost — and the hosts get blamed for it even if they do a good job. “If you don’t do well, then of course all the spears and arrows come out.”

Seth MacFarlane, who hosted the Oscars in 2013, shared a similar sentiment, telling Entertainment Weekly in 2018, “I’m trying to think of the last time that I read a review of the Oscars the next day where everyone is raving about it — it’s been a long time.” He called the shows a “dusty format” and “not an easy job,” adding, “I’m not surprised that they have a tough time finding takers.”

There were fewer spears and arrows in general this year. In addition to praise for O’Brien and Glaser, Trevor Noah, back for his fifth consecutive time as Grammys host, struck the right balance in light of the awards show’s timing amid recovery from the Los Angeles County wildfires.

Kristen Bell also drew applause hosting the Screen Actors Guild Awards, which doesn’t always have a host. She came with experience (previously hosting the People’s Choice Awards) and delighted with her bits, including her Frozen parody song and many co-star reunions.

Bell told Vanity Fair that she didn’t “look at it as thankless. I like hosting. I like bringing people together. I like making goofy jokes and making people laugh.”

With no major complaints this year about the hosts, it’s no surprise that the Oscars and Globes are locking in their picks so far in advance. The hosts can only benefit from having the extra time to prep and tweak and hopefully get it just right — as Jo Koy can attest.