2025 Oscar Acting Winners to Present at 2026 Awards Ceremony

Mikey Madison, Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña will present at this year's Oscars.

Feb. 25, 2026 at 8:39pm

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Continuing a long-running Oscars tradition, last year's acting winners will return to the 2026 Academy Awards as presenters. Best actress winner Mikey Madison (Anora), best actor winner Adrien Brody (The Brutalist), best supporting actor winner Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) and best supporting actress winner Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) are all set to present at the 2026 Oscars.

Why it matters

This is a common practice at the Oscars, with previous year's acting winners often returning to present awards in the opposite categories. It helps maintain the prestige and tradition of the ceremony.

The details

It's unclear which specific awards Madison, Brody, Culkin and Saldaña will present, but in the past the Oscars have often had the best actress and supporting actress winners present the best actor and supporting actor categories and vice versa. The 2026 Oscars, hosted by Conan O'Brien for the second year in a row, are set to air live on ABC and Hulu from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 15, starting at 4 p.m. PT.

  • The 2026 Oscars ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 15, 2026.

The players

Mikey Madison

The 2025 Academy Award winner for Best Actress for her role in the film Anora.

Adrien Brody

The 2025 Academy Award winner for Best Actor for his role in the film The Brutalist.

Kieran Culkin

The 2025 Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film A Real Pain.

Zoe Saldaña

The 2025 Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film Emilia Pérez.

Raj Kapoor

The executive producer and showrunner of the 2026 Oscars ceremony.

Katy Mullan

The executive producer of the 2026 Oscars ceremony.

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What they’re saying

“Continuing a long-running Oscars tradition, last year's acting winners will return to the 2026 Academy Awards as presenters.”

— Raj Kapoor, Executive Producer and Showrunner

“It's unclear which awards Madison, Brody, Culkin and Saldaña will present, but in the past, the Oscars have often had the best actress and supporting actress winners present the best actor and supporting actor categories and vice versa.”

— Katy Mullan, Executive Producer

What’s next

The 2026 Oscars ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 15, 2026 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

The takeaway

The return of the previous year's acting winners to present awards at the Oscars is a long-standing tradition that helps maintain the prestige and legacy of the ceremony. This year's presenters, who won top acting honors in 2025, will likely present in the opposite categories, continuing this established practice.