The 2026 Oscars, hosted by Conan O'Brien, recognized a number of Canadian talents on Sunday night. O'Brien, in his second consecutive year as host, kicked off the ceremony with jokes aimed at AI and actor Timothée Chalamet. He also made a Trump-Epstein joke that was met with groans from the audience.
Several Canadians walked away with Oscars. Toronto director Maggie Kang won Best Animated Feature for KPop Demon Hunters. Montreal filmmakers Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski won Best Animated Short Film for The Girl Who Cried Pearls. Tamara Deverell, a Nova Scotia resident, and Shane Vieau, who was born in Nova Scotia, won the Academy Award for Production Design for Frankenstein, directed by Guillermo del Toro which was filmed in Toronto. Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey shared the win for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for Frankenstein.
Kang dedicated her win to Koreans everywhere, expressing that she was sorry that it took so long for representation in film. Szczerbowski reflected on his parents fleeing Poland and said that his Oscar win represented the conclusion of many decades of policy and credited Canada's cultural funding system for supporting the arts.
The night also marked a historic win for Autumn Durald Arkapaw, who became the first woman of colour to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography for Sinners. One Battle After Another took home the Best Picture award, along with awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Directing for Paul Thomas Anderson. Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for Sinners.
