The 98th Academy Awards air live on Monday morning, Australian time. Here’s everything you need to know.
Key Takeaways
- The 2026 Oscars air live in Australia on Monday, March 16, from 10am AEDT on Channel 7 and 7Plus.
- Red carpet coverage begins at 9:30am AEDT, with an encore screening at 9pm for those who miss the morning broadcast.
- Sinners leads all nominations with 16 nods – the most in Oscars history – followed by One Battle After Another with 13.
- Australians Rose Byrne and Jacob Elordi are both in contention, for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively.
- Conan O’Brien returns as host for his second consecutive year.
Where are The Oscars held?
The 98th Academy Awards take place on Sunday, March 15 in Los Angeles – which translates to Monday morning for Australian audiences. The ceremony is held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and airs live and free across Australia on the Seven Network and its streaming platform, 7Plus.
When to watch the 2026 Oscars in Australia
Red carpet coverage begins at 9:30am AEDT, with the ceremony itself getting underway at 10am. Times vary by state and territory:
- NSW, VIC, ACT, TAS (AEDT): Red carpet 9:30am, ceremony 10am
- QLD (AEST): Red carpet 8:30am, ceremony 9am
- SA (ACDT): Red carpet 9am, ceremony 9:30am
- NT (ACST): Red carpet 8am, ceremony 8:30am
- WA (AWST): Red carpet 6:30am, ceremony 7am
Where to watch the 2026 Oscars in Australia
The ceremony airs live and free on Channel 7. It can also be streamed via 7Plus on mobile, tablet, smart TV, and desktop. For those who miss the morning broadcast, a primetime encore screening airs at 9pm AEDT, with the full ceremony also available on demand via 7Plus.
Related
Who is hosting the 2026 Oscars?
Conan O’Brien returns as host for the second consecutive year. The comedian and former late-night host has been workshopping his opening monologue at comedy clubs ahead of the ceremony.
Who is nominated at the 2026 Oscars?
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners leads all films with 16 nominations – a record in Oscars history. The vampire drama stars Michael B. Jordan, who is widely considered the frontrunner for Best Actor.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another follows with 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and acting nominations for Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Benicio del Toro.
Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet, starring Paul Mescal as Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as his wife Agnes, is another major contender. Buckley received a Best Actress nomination for the role, alongside Australia’s Rose Byrne, who is up for her performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. Byrne won the Golden Globe in the category earlier this season.
Forbes Australia 30 Under 30 alumnus Jacob Elordi is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Frankenstein, giving Australia two nominees in acting categories on the night.
Key Background
The Academy Awards have been held annually since 1929 and are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The ceremony honours achievement across categories including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and dozens of technical and craft categories.
This year’s race for Best Actor has been closely watched, with Timothée Chalamet initially considered the frontrunner following his Golden Globes win, before momentum shifted toward Jordan after Chalamet attracted criticism for public comments about ballet and opera.
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