Oscars 2026 Presenters: Mikey Madison, Zoe Saldaña, Kieran Culkin

Variety

by Clayton Davis

February 19, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

The 98th Academy Awards have confirmed its first official presenters: Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin, Mikey Madison, and Zoe Saldaña, all of whom were last year’s acting winners. This tradition highlights the Academy’s reliance on returning talent to honor the next generation of victors. Brody, who won Best Actor for his role in *The Brutalist*, will present alongside Madison, who claimed Best Actress for her performance in *Anora*. Culkin and Saldaña also join, having swept last year’s awards for their roles in *A Real Pain* and *Emilia Pérez*, respectively. The Academy has long upheld the practice of bringing back previous acting winners to present awards, often with a twist. In some years, presenters have been “gender-swapped,” or variations like the “fab five” format have been used, where multiple past winners from a category take the stage together. This year, Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan, the show’s executive producers, have not yet revealed which categories Brody, Culkin, Madison, and Saldaña will present, but additional presenters are expected to be announced soon. The 2026 Oscars also promise excitement beyond its presenters. The ceremony will air live on March 15 from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, hosted by Conan O’Brien. Leading the nominations is *Sinners*, a record-breaking film with 16 nods, followed closely by *One Battle After Another* with 13 nominations. Other contenders include *Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value,* and *Train Dreams*. As the awards season concludes, key events like the BAFTA Awards, Producers Guild of America Awards, and SAG Awards will offer further insights into this year’s Oscar momentum. Final voting runs from February 26 to March 5, with the ceremony streaming on Hulu and broadcast globally across 200 territories. This year’s Oscars are shaping up to be a celebration of cinematic excellence, with familiar faces and groundbreaking films taking center stage. The return of last year’s acting winners as presenters underscores the Academy’s commitment

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Originally published on Variety on 2/19/2026