Call in sick, set your notifications to ‘do not disturb’ and settle in because the 2026 Oscars are finally here.
The red carpet alone is reason enough to set your alarm. As the undisputed peak of awards season dressing, the Oscars red carpet is the night stylists, designers and stars alike save their most outstanding looks for.
Then, there are the Australians to cheer for — Rose Byrne earns her first Oscar nomination for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Jacob Elordi is recognised for his role in Frankenstein, and Nick Cave is nominated for Best Original Song.
The “Oscars race” that has everyone talking, however, centres on who will take home Best Actor In A Lead Role: Michael B. Jordan for Sinners or Timothee Chalamet for Marty Supreme.
Few Oscars races have felt as charged as this one. Ryan Coogler’s Sinners enters the night with a record-breaking 16 nominations — more than any film in Academy history — but faces a formidable rival in One Battle After Another. Adding to the intrigue, this year marks the very first time a category for Best Casting has been included.
The 98th Academy Awards take place in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 15 — which translates to Monday, March 16, 2026 for Australian viewers. Here is the full breakdown of 2026 Oscars start times across Australia:
Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart (AEDT): Red carpet from 9am, ceremony from 11am
Brisbane, Queensland (AEST): Red carpet from 8am, ceremony from 10am
Adelaide (ACDT): Red carpet from 8:30am, ceremony from 10:30am
Darwin (ACST): Red carpet from 7:30am, ceremony from 9:30am
Perth (AWST): Red carpet from 6am, ceremony from 8am
Channel 7 is the exclusive Australian broadcast partner for the 2026 Academy Awards, with the ceremony airing live on both Channel 7 and its free streaming platform 7Plus.
If you can’t watch live, an encore broadcast will air at 9pm on both platforms — ideal for a dedicated watch party. For the truly devoted, Sunrise will have live coverage and red carpet reporting from as early as 5.30am AEDT. The main ceremony will begin airing from 11am AEDT.
Conan O’Brien returns as host of the 2026 Academy Awards for the second consecutive year, following his well-received debut at the 2025 ceremony. He will be joined by a presenter lineup that includes Chris Evans, Javier Bardem, Maya Rudolph, Demi Moore, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Hathaway and Paul Mescal.
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