Oscars 2026 live: Conan O’Brien’s monologue, Rose Byrne, Demi Moore, Nicole Kidman, best red carpet fashions

It’s a big moment that needed to be marked, the awarding of the first ever Casting Oscar, and the ceremony has taken a moment to recognise all five nominees - four women and one man.

One star from each of the five nominated films - Paul Mescal, Chase Infiniti, Gwyneth Paltrow, Wagner Moura and Delroy Lindo - came out to individually pay tribute to the casting directors that worked on their films.

Francine Maisler for One Battle After Another takes it!

“I have to, obviously, thank the Academy for even adding this category, and for the casting directors who’ve fought tirelessly to make it happen, despite everything in their way.”

BEST CASTING

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another - WINNER

The Secret Agent

Sinners

The first four minutes of the Oscars were wild.

Online, viewers are already dubbing host Conan O’Brien’s opening sketch the ‘best opening’ to the Academy Awards ever.

The Guillermo del Toro creature feature claimed the win in the Make-up and Hairstyling costume.

Jacob Elordi famously spent 10 hours in the chair every day having those elaborate prosthetics put on.

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Frankenstein - WINNER

Kokuho

Sinners

The Smashing Machine

The Ugly Stepsister

Anna Wintour and Anne Hathaway, in a nice bit of promotion for The Devil Wears Prada 2, presented to costume design award to Frankenstein’s Kate Hawley.

If you’re watching, yes, that is a Kiwi accent, so that’s an almost adjacent win for Australia!

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Frankenstein - WINNER

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

Sinners

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

Butterfly (Papillon)

Forevergreen

The Girl Who Cried Pearls - WINNER

Retirement Plan

The Three Sisters

Sorry, that was such a bad pun. It had to be done.

In a surprise to absolutely no one, KPop Demon Hunters has won the Best Animated Feature Oscar. I think its chances for success were like 99 per cent to win.

In many ways, KPop Demon Hunters was an unlikely success that relied on the worldwide embrace of Korean pop culture, something that would not have happened only 10 years ago.

Filmmaker Maggie Kang said, “Thank you to the Academy, and to all the fans who got us here, and for those of you who look like me, I’m so sorry that it took us so long to see us in a movie like this.

“But it is here. And that means that the next generations don’t have to go longing. This is for Korea and for Koreans everywhere.”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Arco

Elio

KPop Demon Hunters - WINNER

Little Amelie or the Character of Rain

Zootopia 2

“We’re coming to you live from the Has a Small Penis Theatre. Let’s see him put his name in front of that.”

Ha.

Amy Madigan has won her first Oscar in a rare triumph for a horror movie.

Madigan played the villainous Aunt Gladys in a balls-to-the-wall performance in Weapons.

As she ascended to the stage, she gave a proper cackle.

Madigan thanked Zach Creggar, the Weapons filmmaker, as well as everyone else on the production, and her fellow nominees, and her daughter and husband, actor Ed Harris.

“The most important is my beloved Ed, who’s been with me forever. And that’s a long-arse time, and none of it would mean anything if he wasn’t by my side.”

This is Madigan’s second nomination. She was previously nominated 40 years ago.

It’s been a particularly unpredictable year with most of the acting races very competitive with different contenders winning at precursor awards.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value

Amy Madigan, Weapons - WINNER

Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners

Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

You can always trust Conan O’Brien to be up for anything.

He kicked off the ceremony with a wild stunt dressed as Aunt Gladys from Weapons and being chased by rabid kids, running through scenarios from many of the nominated films this year, including One Battle After Another, KPop Demon Hunters, Sentimental Value, Marty Supreme and Sinners.

“Hey, I’m Conan O’Brien and I’m honoured to be the last human host of the Oscars. Next year, it’s going to be a Waymo in a tux.”

O’Brien immediately kicks off with a jibe at Timothee Chalamet, “Security is etxremely tight tonight. Just got to mention that. I’m told they’re concerned about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities.”

He also took a shot at Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos - “It’s his first time in a theatre!” - and at the right-wing response to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show - “Tonight could get political, and if that makes you uncomfortable, there’s an alternate Oscars being hosted by Kid Rock”.

He made good on his promise to be political with this zinger, “It’s the first time since 2012 that there are no British actors nominated for best actor or best actress. A British spokesperson said, ‘Yeah, at least we arrest our pedophiles.”

Turning serious for a moment, O’Brien struck a moment for unity and art. “Tonight is an international event. Everyone watching right now, around the world, is all too aware that these are very chaotic, frightening times.

“It took moments like these that I believe that the Oscars are particularly resonant. Check it out - 31 countries, across six continents, are represented this evening.

“And every film, every film we salute is the product of thousands of people speaking different languages, working hard to make something of beauty. We pay tribute tonight, not just to film, but to the ideals of local artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience, and that rarest of qualities today, optimism.

“So let us, please, celebrate.”