“Thank you, Emily.”

The best and worst moments from the 2026 Oscars

"Thank you, Emily."

By Samantha Highfill

Samantha Highfill

Samantha Highfill is an executive editor at **, where she’s worked for more than 12 years covering television.

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on March 15, 2026 10:58 p.m. ET

Conan O'Brien opens the 2026 Oscars dressed as Aunt Gladys from 'Weapons'. Credit:

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty

Even Hollywood's most glamorous night has its highs and lows. And the the 2026 Oscars proved just that as the night of celebration delivered everything from incredible speeches to jokes that fell flat to performances we'll never forget. Discover what you missed — or relive the night — with our best and worst moments below. (And check out the full list of Academy Award winners here.)

BEST/WORST: Conan O’Brien’s roller coaster of an opening

Host Conan O'Brien at the 2026 Oscars.

Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty

This entire list could just be moments from Conan O'Brien's opening.**** BEST: The host kicked things off with a great recorded bit that featured him in Amy Madigan's *Weapons* makeup running through a handful of the nominated films as he's chased by a bunch of children.**** BEST: The way he didn't shy away from current topics, whether he was poking fun at Timothée Chalamet's recent comments about opera and ballet or joking that it was Ted Sarandos' first time in a theater or, you know, all the terrible real-world things happening.**** WORST: Not all of the jokes worked, and that Josh Groban "if I won an Oscar" bit felt like a last-minute add-on to the entire thing.**** BEST: That joke about the British arresting their pedophiles.**

BEST: Amy Madigan has a “great” time

Amy Madigan wins Best Supporting Actress at the 2026 Oscars.

Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty

When the first winner of the night was announced for Best Supporting Actress, we were overjoyed — not only because Amy Madigan was incredible in *Weapons**, *but because how can you not love someone winning an Oscar and exclaiming: "This is great!" It was like she just found what she was looking for at the grocery store.

Referencing what the press has been asking her recently — she's been acting for 40 years and why is this year different?! — she said, "What's different is I got this little gold guy."

And henceforth, the Oscars statue should only be referred to as little gold guy.

BEST: A sinfully good performance

Miles Caton performs at the 2026 Oscars.

Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty

Over the years, performances have been hit or miss at the Oscars. But when Miles Caton got on stage to perform Best Original Song nominee "I Lied to You" from *Sinners*, it was evident that we were about to witness something special. And if the song weren't powerful enough on its own — with Caton's incredible vocals to help — other actors from the movie helped recreate one of the most memorable scenes of the film, transporting viewers back into the world of *Sinners* if only for one magical moment. BRB, going to watch that movie again.

BEST: The devil wears a bob

Anna Wintour and Anne Hathaway presenting at the 2026 Oscars.

Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty

Not every moment is a big one. Sometimes, it's three words that make you squeal in excitement. And leave it to Anna Wintour to deliver one withering line that we'll be thinking about for days to come. As she and *The Devil Wears Prada 2* star Anne Hathaway took to the stage to present a couple of awards, Wintour channeled, well, herself, and when Hathaway asked if she wanted to read the list of nominees, she responded, "Thank you, Emily," purposefully mistaking Hathaway for her *Prada* costar Emily Blunt. It was perfect.

WORST: Matt Berry’s talent is wasted

Matt Berry is the announcer at the 2026 Oscars.

Disney/Frank Micelotta)

*What We Do in the Shadows* star Matt Berry is an absolute comedic treasure, and you're telling me his career has now come to this?! Not only is he serving as the announcer at this year's Oscars, but he's doing it remotely from London? I have so many questions, but this biggest one is: HOW DARE THEY?! Berry is too good for this.

WORST: A tie

Kumail Nanjiani presents at the 2026 Oscars.

Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty

Let me start by saying that Kumail Nanjiani handled this situation beautifully. But that doesn't mean it should've happened in the first place. When Nanjiani stepped out to present the award for Best Live-Action Short, he opened up the envelope to announce, "It's a tie." After assuring everyone that he wasn't joking and telling the crowd to "remain calm," he explained that he would announce one winner, let them accept their award, and then announce the second. Again, he handled it well! He even made a great joke about how it's "ironic that the Short Film Oscar is gonna take twice as long."

But my problem is with the idea of a tie. It's happened before, but it's rare, and isn't the whole point of this thing to pick a winner?! I'm very happy for the people behind *The Singers* and *Two People Exchanging Saliva, *but if two out of five nominees won, is that *really* winning?**

BEST: Kieran Culkin doesn’t care

Kieran Culkin accepts an award for Sean Penn at the 2026 Oscars.

Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty

If there's one thing you can always expect from Kieran Culkin, it's an honest (and usually unexpected) comment. And although his time on the Oscars stage was short, he still managed to slip one in. Culkin was in attendance to present the award that he won last year for Best Supporting Actor, which went to *One Battle After Another *star Sean Penn. When Penn wasn't in attendance, Culkin stepped forward to deliver the typical line... with a twist.

"Sean Penn couldn't be here this evening," Culkin started, before adding, "or didn't want to, so I'll be accepting the award on his behalf."

He's probably not wrong.**

BEST: A proper In Memoriam

Rob Reiner's co-workers and friends honor the late director at the 2026 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty

I fear they finally cracked it. They figured out how to do an In Memoriam! There's no random performer needed. All we need is the simple act of hearing about those we lost from those who knew and loved them.

This year, Billy Crystal kicked things off with a beautiful tribute to his friends Rob and Michele Reiner, which was only made more powerful by a number of Reiner's former co-workers from various films walking out on stage together. That then started the In Memoriam, and as the video played, it paused twice: Once for Rachel McAdams to talk about some of the actresses we lost, including Catherine O'Hara and her *The Family Stone *costar Diane Keaton. It then concluded with Barbra Streisand remembering her *The Way We were* costar Robert Redford.

We got anecdotes about the song that Keaton always sang on set, and how Redford called Streisand "Babs." It was simple and heartfelt. And I'm not sure when my tear ducts will recover.

BEST: Grogu at the Oscars

Kate Hudson and Grogu at the 2026 Oscars.

Do I need to say more?! Grogu was at the Oscars! Okay, actually, there is more to say because, believe it or not, this moment was even better than it might seem. As Sigourney Weaver and Pedro Pascal walked on stage to present, the camera cut to Pascal's adorable *The Mandalorian *costar sitting next to Kate Hudson, which gave Weaver the chance to reprise her iconic *Alien* line (with a slight change): "Get away from him, you bitch," Weaver yelled at Hudson.

(And yes, the other bit about Grogu clapping also worked because he's Grogu and he's SO FREAKIN' CUTE!)

BEST: Bridesmaids reunion

Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Ellie Kemper at the 2026 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty

Well, now I want a *Bridesmaids** *sequel. (Just kidding, I've always wanted a *Bridesmaids *sequel!) But watching Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and Ellie Kemper reunite on the Oscars stage reminded me that it's less of a *want *and more of a *need*.

After they were each handed a "note" from the audience, they read out messages about their looks from Stellan Skarsgård, about the awkward eye contact from Leonardo DiCaprio, once again about their looks from Skarsgård, and so on. It was a straightforward joke, and just like the movie they made 15 years ago, it worked!

BEST: Autumn Durald Arkapaw makes history

Autumn Durald Arkapaw wins the 2026 Oscar for Best Cinematography.

Kevin Winter/Getty

Autumn Durald Arkapaw is the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Cinematography, a moment that would've been great no matter what. But when you add in her *Sinners* director Ryan Coogler's excitement, plus the moment he ran down the aisles holding her son, plus the moment where she asked all the women in the room to stand up because "I don't get here without you guys"? Yeah, it was incredible.

WORST: Let the people talk!

'KPop Demon Hunters' wins Best Original Song at the 2026 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty

I've never been a fan of playing people off, especially when it's evident that they really only do it to the less famous individuals. And this year had a few truly brutal moments, including a moment so awkward that O'Brien called it out after they tried to play off the (second) winners of Best Live-Action Short. But that wasn't the first offense and it wouldn't be the last: Just ask the *KPop Demon Hunters* crew, who were played off as they tried to accept the award for Best Original Song. Just let them have an extra 15 seconds! Who cares?

BEST: Michael B. Jordan earns gold

Michael B. Jordan wins Best Actor at the 2026 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty

You could feel the excitement through the screen when *Sinners *star Michael B. Jordan's name was called for Best Actor. The entire room lit up.! You could see Teyana Taylor nodding her head enthusiastically. You could see the joy on Jordan's former costar Jesse Plemons' face. When they get it right, they get it right, and the room knew this one was right. As was Jordan's incredible speech, thanking the Black winners who came before him, thanking his mother, thanking Coogler, and more.

Perhaps the greatest moment was Jordan standing on stage for a few extra seconds after his speech, taking in the standing ovation. (And for *Friday Night Lights *fans, it was the moment he pointed at Plemons.)

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