If Conan O’Brien needs a friend, he’s certainly found one in the Academy. For the third year in a row, O’Brien has been tapped to host next year’s Oscars. Also back are live TV event producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan as the show’s executive producers for the fourth consecutive year.
O’Brien’s producers Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney will also return as producers as a third time, with Sweeney as writer. Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor announced the news Tuesday afternoon, tied to the Disney upfronts in New York. The penultimate Academy Awards for Disney, the 99th Oscars are set to air live on ABC and Hulu from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 14, 2027, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
“We are thrilled to be working again with Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff and Mike for the 99th Oscars,” Kramer and Howell Taylor said in a joint statement. “They are an incredible team and have produced such captivating, entertaining and heartfelt shows over the last two years. We are so grateful for their ongoing partnership as we honor our global film community — and we look forward to Conan superbly leading the celebration with his brilliance and humor.”
O’Brien earned high marks again for his second year hosting the Oscars, back in March. Even a day after the telecast, Walt Disney TV exec VP, unscripted and alternative entertainment Rob Mills told Variety that they were game to bring O’Brien back. After the kudocast ended with a gag that suggested O’Brien was “Oscars host for life” (well, at least for its remaining life on ABC), Mills said it wasn’t a joke. Conan is host for life, yes,” he said at the time. “He hasn’t even accepted yet. He’s just being told. We’re assuming that was not a comedy bit. We’re going to treat that as if that was fact.”
And now it seems like it might indeed be true. O’Brien, of course, hosted the late night talkers “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” and “Conan,” and now hosts the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast and the HBO travel show “Conan O’Brien Must Go.” He has won six Primetime Emmys and earned 33 nominations, including a nomination for the Oscars.
“Conan has created remarkable energy around The Oscars,” Disney Television Group prexy Craig Erwich said in statement. “His singular comedic voice makes Hollywood’s biggest night one of the most entertaining celebrations of the year. We’re proud to welcome him back and look forward to what he and the producing team deliver next.”
As for Kapoor and Mullan, Kapoor is an Emmy winner for his work on the 96th Oscars and “Adele: One Night Only,” and has worked on the Grammys, the Emmys, “Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas,” “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration,” “Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter” and “The Paris Olympics LA28 Handover Closing Ceremony” and more. Mullan is an executive producer, showrunner and partner at Done + Dusted; she also won an Emmy for the 96th Oscars, and has worked on prokects including the London Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, “The Little Mermaid Live!,” “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” and more.
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“Getting to reunite with Conan O’Brien for a third year at the Oscars is really special. He brings that signature humor everyone loves, along with a real warmth and generosity that carry through the entire show,” Kapoor and Mullan said in a joint statement. “He’s a true creative partner, someone we trust completely, and someone who makes the whole process genuinely fun, both behind the scenes and on stage. We’re incredibly grateful to keep building this together and can’t wait to share what’s next.”
Ross’ credits include “Conan,” “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “The Kids in the Hall,” and more recently, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” “Conan O’Brien Must Go” and “Conan Without Borders.” He has won two Primetime Emmys and earned 18 nominations, including a nomination for the Oscars. Sweeney has won four Primetime Emmys, was nominated for his Oscar work, and also includes credits such as “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” “Conan,” “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”
Disney holds the rights to the Oscars through the event’s landmark 100th edition in 2028. After that, the telecast will move to YouTube — and a new home at the Peacock Theatre in downtown Los Angeles in 2029.
From Variety US