Oscars 2026 Host, Conan O'Brien's Paycheck For The Academy Awards Revealed, Here's What We Know

Hosting the Academy Awards is a marvellous opportunity in itself. Sharing the room with some of the biggest talents in the entertainment world is an experience no one wants to miss. And this year, it is television host, comedian and writer, Conan O'Brien, who has been given the prestige of hosting the Oscars 2026. However, amid that, fans have been intrigued by what the host will be taking home for helming one of the biggest nights in the entertainment industry. So, without any further ado, let's take a quick look at what we know about his salary.

Do the Academy Awards hosts only get paid a five-figure salary?

Hosting the Oscars is an opportunity that in itself means more than any paycheck. However, the intrigue over how much the host will take home has long been a topic of discussion. Amid that, let's take a look at what we know about the salary and how much Oscar 2026 host, Conan O'Brein will be taking home to host the biggest night in cinema. Well, according to reports, the cheque for the night might not be as massive as one had hoped. The four-time host, Jimmy Kimmel, had previously revealed that he was paid only USD 15,000 to host the biggest night in Hollywood. 

According to reports, Jimmy Kimmel sat down for a conversation on the Politickin podcast and reflected on the paycheck he earned for hosting the prestigious awards show. The Jimmy Kimmel Live! host revealed that the paycheck isn't worth the manhours that go into hosting the Academy Awards, which is why he turned down the offer to come back in 2025. Jimmy shared that when he was focused on the Oscars, he wasn't able to give his own show as much attention, so he decided not to put himself in the same situation. He was quoted as saying:

"It's hard, and it's a lot of work and suffers a little bit, to be honest. When I'm focused on the Oscars, I'm less focused on the show. And I just decided I didn't want to deal with that this year. It was just too much last year. You wind up pushing everything off till after the Oscars, then you have to do everything you promised to do after the Oscars after the Oscars."

Wanda Sykes reflected on hosting the Oscars

Jimmy Kimmel is not the only celebrity who has discussed hosting the Oscars and the return they get for their hard work. The 2022 host of the Academy Awards, Wanda Sykes, also reflected on the paycheck she received for hosting the Oscars. She shared that her paycheck was about scale, which means the minimum hourly wage that SAG-AFTRA union members get paid. Wanda appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! the same year she hosted the award show and revealed she knew hosting it would cost her money. She was quoted as saying:

"I realised that out of all the jobs that I have, this one is actually gonna cost me money."

Conan O'Brien on hosting the 98th Academy Awards

Conan O'Brien also talked about hosting the 98th Academy Awards and how much work goes into it, especially when it comes to writing the jokes. In fact, he made surprise appearances at LA comedy clubs to try out material in the lead-up to the award show. According to the union, Conan will also be getting USD 15,000 for hosting the show. The comedian sat for a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter on March 9, 2026 (ET) and reflected on hosting the show and stated:

"I get obsessive. I want to turn it off, but I can't. That's not always a fun ride, but that's the deal. At 62, I understand it."

What are your thoughts on the paycheck for the Academy Awards hosts? Let us know.

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