99th Oscars Set for March 14, 2027 as Early Race Takes Shape
Conan O'Brien will host the 99th Oscars on Sunday, March 14, 2027, live at 7 p.m. ET on ABC from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, according to Variety.
The telecast will play in more than 200 territories worldwide. The date locks the end point of a long season that is already under way.
The calendar is tight. The Governors Awards, where honorary Oscars will go to actor Glenn Close and director Ridley Scott, is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 15, according to Variety.
Preliminary voting for the shortlists in 12 categories runs Dec. 7-11, with the shortlist announcement on Tuesday, Dec. 15. The eligibility period for films closes on Dec. 31, 2026. Nominations voting will run Jan. 11-15, 2027, and the official nominations will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2027.
Trade predictions for the race are curated by chief awards editor Clayton Davis in Variety's Awards Circuit section, which covers the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards. The pages reflect current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences, and they are updated every Thursday, according to Variety.
For best adapted screenplay, scripts based on books, plays or other existing material, the commentary updated Sept. 18, 2026 simply states "More to come." That short note signals how early the field remains.
Several titles keep appearing in early lists. Variety identified "The Odyssey," "Michael," "Project Hail Mary" and "Toy Story 5" among seven films that could define the 2027 race, according to Variety. Its best picture predictions mention "Dune: Part Three," "The Odyssey" and "Digger," while its wider contenders coverage includes "The Debut" and "La Bola Negra."
The writing races are taking shape first. Variety's best original screenplay predictions, for scripts written directly for the screen, include "Club Kid," "Wild Horse Nine," "Tender Loving Care" and "Josephine," according to Variety. An earlier contenders list had "Is God Is" under adapted screenplay.
Another predictions outlet, Gold Derby, ranked "Ink" at No. 1 in its 2027 screenplay outlook from June, with "Project Hail Mary," "The Invite," "The Odyssey" and "La Bola" in its top five, according to Gold Derby. Those June lists are background for now. The September updates take precedence.
For fans, this means the next four months do the sorting. Festival premieres, cinema releases and the December shortlists will narrow a field that currently stretches from big studio continuations to small international titles. For scale, 317 feature films were in contention for the 98th Academy Awards, according to the Academy press site.
