The 98th edition of the Oscars will include a K-pop performance, the return of stars with statuettes to present the nominees and will focus on the “humanity of cinema” in the midst of the debate on artificial intelligence (AI), the gala’s producers announced in an interview with EFE.
“With all the current conversation about the advancement of technology and AI, when you look at the incredible films that are nominated this year, the storytelling is deeply human,” says Katy Mullan, executive producer of the gala.
“This year we wanted to show how these films are shaped by real people, with their hands, their life experiences and their heart,” she adds.
The Oscars will be held on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with Conan O’Brien as host for the second consecutive year, after registering a slight increase of 1% in its audience during the last edition.
Mullan and producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor return to lead this gala, which for them each year begins as “a big puzzle” in which every guest, appearance and musical moment is designed to generate surprise and excitement, with the intention of connecting with audiences of all ages.
“Maybe there will be some surprise reunions and it’s possible that some stars who haven’t been seen in a long time will make an appearance at the show,” Kapoor previews.
The show’s special segment, in which five of the most recent winners of the major acting categories introduce the next honoree, will return after its absence in 2025, but this time it will be dedicated to celebrating the stars of the first new category in more than two decades: best casting director.
“We’re going to have 5 stars on stage speaking to the casting directors who are nominated and we’re excited because it’s going to be very personal and with a lot of human connection, because it’s going to be actors who have a real relationship with them,” Mullan advanced.
This delivery format will allow us to explain to the public the importance of the work of these cast directors in the process of creating a film.
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and ‘Sinners’ to provide musical accents
After the musical performances of the songs nominated for best song were eliminated from last year’s gala in respect for those affected by the devastating fires that ravaged Los Angeles, this edition will only feature two performances of songs from the films ‘Sinners’ and ‘KPop Demon Hunters’.
“We really went for those performances because of the films themselves. We want to celebrate ‘Sinners,’ which is the most nominated film of all time (with 16 of them), and also ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ which was a global phenomenon,” notes Mullan.
In addition, including K-pop in the gala may also attract new generations, who are less and less accustomed to traditional TV formats.
In 2025, the ceremony was simulcast for the first time on ABC and the streaming platform Hulu, and audience figures grew by adding viewers who followed it on digital devices, an increase that is believed to include a significant number of younger audiences.
Although the audience following the gala via their smart devices is growing, Kapoor still advocates for a large-format show where “the bigger the screen, the more impressive it is,” he relates. “But it makes us happy for people to watch it in whatever form it takes,” he adds.
Although awards ceremonies often become a political space in which artists denounce some of the most pressing social concerns, the producers insist that their goal this year is to maintain a celebratory and inclusive tone.
“We want to be fair to all the nominees and give them a platform, but ultimately it’s about the work they did this year, their momentum on stage and the impact they can have when they speak well and connect with the audience,” explains Kapoor.
The 98th edition of the Oscars will hand out its awards on March 15. Sinners’ is the most nominated film in the history of the awards with 16 nominations, reported Agencia EFE, followed by ‘One Battle After Another’, which is up for 13 awards.
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