They’ll announce the Best Actor Oscar during the main Oscars ceremony on Sunday, March 15, 2026, which starts at 7 p.m. Eastern / 4 p.m. Pacific on ABC (23:00 GMT).

Quick Scoop: Timing Details

  • The 98th Academy Awards ceremony is on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
  • The live show starts at 7 p.m. Eastern / 4 p.m. Pacific (23:00 GMT).
  • Best Actor is one of the final “big four” awards (along with Best Actress, Director, Picture), so it’s typically announced in the last stretch of the telecast, usually in the final hour. (This placement follows the standard running order used in recent years, though the exact minute isn’t pre-announced.)

So if you’re tuning in just for Best Actor, plan to be watching especially from about 9–10 p.m. Eastern onward, but the safest move is to follow the show from the start so you don’t miss it.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.