What to Expect From the Oscars Telecast (And What We’d Change)

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This Sunday, the 98th Academy Awards will be broadcast on ABC and streamed on Hulu, and it’s shaping up to be an exciting week for Oscar fans. Conan O’Brien is back to host, following a well-received performance last year, which should give the show a strong opening. However, the overall success depends on several factors: the winning films, the acceptance speeches, and choices made by the producers regarding things like video clips and musical performances. To preview what we can expect, I spoke with two of my colleagues at Vulture who are experts on the Academy Awards: Nate Jones, who writes the Gold Rush column, and film critic Alison Wilmore. We talked about the show’s past, how to improve it, and the surprising news that the Oscars will move from traditional network television to YouTube in 2029.

When you think back on the last few years of the Oscars broadcasts, what’s your overall impression? Do they effectively highlight the best of the film industry and filmmaking? Or have they felt lacking? Would you say the show is improving, declining, or staying about the same?

I’ve noticed the Oscars lately tend to be a bit too polished, and the show can sometimes feel long, but I expect that from awards shows. Celebrities will always thank a lot of people, even if it sounds repetitive, and they’re careful about what they say because they’re worried about social media backlash. Plus, not every joke is going to hit. What really makes an awards show fail, though, is when the fear of criticism dictates how the ceremony is run. The Oscars should be confident and celebratory, not hesitant or overly self-deprecating like Nate Bargatze’s donation bit at the Emmys. The Oscars are Hollywood’s chance to reinforce its own image, and humor that pokes fun at the industry itself is fine, but the show shouldn’t apologize for being a spectacle. These are performers, and they should embrace putting on a great show.

For me, the most memorable Oscars moment in years was Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s performance of “Shallow” in 2019. It wasn’t just that the song is great, or even that they sang it well, but how they performed it. The staging was incredible – the camera started from the stage, facing the audience, and they rose from their seats as if stepping into character, holding hands and walking to the piano. It felt like a movie scene, with them appearing larger than life and hinting at a connection that was clearly for the audience, but captivating nonetheless. It was classic, unpretentious Hollywood magic, and I’d love to see more moments like it!

The Oscars have definitely had their share of challenges. 2022 was a particularly low point, largely due to the incident at the awards show and a strange reluctance to use traditional hosts. That year, they pre-recorded the awards for technical categories and then showed shortened versions during the main broadcast – it felt off. It was like they thought changing the Oscars meant making it not the Oscars.

Things have improved lately, though. Replacing Jimmy Kimmel, who often acted like viewers weren’t interested in the nominated films, with Conan O’Brien has been a good move. Conan brings a classic showman energy and can keep things fun without making the films feel unimportant. Plus, the Academy voters seem more open-minded now. They’re willing to recognize popular, mainstream successes like Everything Everywhere All at Once, Barbie, and Sinners, which has reduced the complaints about needing to nominate blockbusters like Avengers: Endgame just to stay relevant.

I thought Jimmy Kimmel did a good job hosting because he brought a fun, lighthearted energy to the show. He clearly had genuine relationships with a lot of the people there, and it didn’t feel negative like Ricky Gervais’ hosting at the Golden Globes sometimes did. That being said, Conan O’Brien was fantastic last year, and I’m hoping he’ll be great again this Sunday. It’s been a long time since Billy Crystal hosted the Oscars three years in a row back in the early ’90s, but I’m rooting for Conan to do it, as long as everything goes smoothly.

If you could completely redesign the show, what’s the very first thing you would change?

As a critic, I’ve always felt award show speeches drag on, and I have a slightly radical idea to fix it. I’d love to see a rule – though I know it’s probably unenforceable – that winners are limited to thanking just one person. Imagine the weight that single choice would carry! It would actually make the moment more meaningful, and frankly, less exhausting for the audience. A good compromise, though, might be an onscreen scroll – a lower third, if you will – listing everyone else the winner wants to acknowledge. That way, they can thank their spouse and their agent, and not have that awkward ‘Oh no, did I forget someone?’ moment. It’s a win-win, really.

I’d love to see highlight clips shown for every award category! It’s a great way to showcase the skill involved and help viewers understand what makes each category unique, especially when we’re giving out so many awards – 24 in total.

Absolutely, Nate! This year’s Actor Awards (formerly the SAG Awards) were really fun to watch, and a big reason was the fantastic use of clips. They didn’t just show clips for every award category, but also included several montages celebrating the history of film and television, and it was clear they were put together by people who are passionate about entertainment.

If I could change one thing about the Oscars, it would be to require a celebration of film history. I’d love to see at least three thoughtfully chosen clip packages showcasing moments from the past – ideally connecting them to modern filmmaking. More importantly, the Academy’s lifetime achievement awards should be presented during the main Oscars ceremony, not at a separate event. They used to be, but about fifteen years ago, the Academy moved them to shorten the show and make room for commercials. This change takes away some of the most genuinely moving moments of the broadcast. Just look at Harrison Ford’s speech at the recent Actor Awards as an example of what these tributes can bring.

ABC will continue to broadcast the Oscars for three more years, after which YouTube will take over. What did you think when you first heard that, and has your opinion evolved since then?

My first thought was a feeling of being too late to the party, like Tony Soprano always seemed to be. It felt a little sorry for itself, but it struck me as similar to the Oscars realizing they weren’t as culturally relevant as they once were. They’d become specialized entertainment—and these days, everything feels that way. While I’ve seen some more hopeful perspectives, suggesting the show can now truly be itself without the constraints of traditional television, I still find the change a bit sad.

To be honest, my first reaction to this deal was surprise. Google clearly has the financial resources and wants to reach a large audience, and they’re already investing heavily in events like NFL games and Coachella, so this makes sense for them. What surprised me more was the Academy’s willingness to move their broadcast away from traditional network television, even looking ahead to 2030. However, they need funding, and Google has it. Seeing how Netflix has successfully handled their awards show and how streaming allows for more creative freedom – less focus on length and fewer concerns about network standards – I’m cautiously hopeful this could be a positive change.

I was really surprised by the announcement that the Oscars are going to be on YouTube, especially since the awards have always been so closely linked to traditional television broadcasts. Streaming services like Netflix have been trying to get into live events for a while now, with things like wrestling and concerts. While YouTube is now a huge media company with a massive audience, it feels a little strange to have such a glamorous event like the Oscars mixed in with everyday videos – right now, my homepage has videos of otters eating salmon, a fireplace for background noise, and someone discussing a TV show. The Academy definitely needs the financial benefits and the creative freedom that streaming offers, including fewer restrictions on how long the show is and what it includes. However, the Oscars are still Hollywood’s biggest promotional event, and the Academy will need to work hard to ensure the show doesn’t just feel like another piece of online content.

Recently, Hollywood celebrities have become more cautious about sharing political opinions at award shows, likely due to fear of negative reactions, especially from conservative media. With the Oscars taking place during a time of global conflict, the question arises: should celebrities, or even someone like Conan, use the event as a platform to speak out?

I find it surprising that people wouldn’t react to everything happening in the world. If anyone wins an award and chooses to speak, I hope they don’t just offer empty, inoffensive statements. I’d much rather hear something bold and direct, like a passionate shout-out to their team followed by strong political stances.

I believe many of this year’s nominated films reflect current world events, and the show’s host, Conan, can address this with humor, like past Oscar hosts have. As for who wins, I don’t really have a preference. Celebrities shouldn’t have to share political opinions when accepting awards, but if they choose to, their views deserve respect, not criticism. Just as someone like Kid Rock is free to express his political beliefs publicly, Oscar winners should be able to speak out about important issues, like the plight of refugees or the rights of transgender people.

Since you’re both Oscars experts here at Vulture, I’m curious about how you see this year’s race unfolding. Do you think a particular trend or idea will dominate? And, ultimately, who do you predict will win Best Picture?

The competition is really tightening up between One Battle After Another and Sinners. One Battle After Another has been the frontrunner since the fall, but Sinners gained a lot of momentum late in the awards season, even setting a record for the most nominations a single film has ever received. I think One Battle After Another will ultimately win Best Picture, but the rivalry between these two films will be a major theme throughout the entire night. They’re competing head-to-head in 11 different categories, so by the time the last award is announced, we’ll likely have a clear picture of who’s winning.

Like Nate, I’m predicting One Battle After Another will win Best Picture, though Sinners has gained a lot of momentum recently – it leads all films with a record 16 nominations. The main question at the Oscars this year seems to be which of these large-scale, director-driven studio films will be seen as the best representation of the year in film. More broadly, it’s likely to be a celebration of that type of filmmaking. After years of upheaval and mergers in the industry – most recently with Warner Bros. being the subject of a bidding war that reflects two concerning futures for moviegoing – I believe the Oscars will ultimately reward Hollywood for delivering the kind of films the Academy wants: creatively distinctive movies that audiences actually went to see. But that reward comes with a lot of uncertainty about the future.

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2026-03-13 00:56