On Sunday 15 March 2026, many of the film industry’s biggest stars will gather in Los Angeles for Hollywood’s biggest night: the 98th annual Academy Awards.
Two American movies, "One Battle After Another" and "Sinners" are tipped to be the big winners on the night.
Looming over the 2026 Oscars are some major upheavals in Hollywood, including corporate mergers, the incursion of AI, and mass layoffs.
And it’s against that backdrop that the Oscars are increasingly nominating films, filmmakers, and actors from elsewhere in the world.
BBC film reporter and critic Tom Brook explains the history of the Oscars and how the annual awards ceremony went global.
He talks about the challenges facing the Hollywood film industry and how Donald Trump’s tariffs may impact in the future.
New episodes of The Global Story are released daily. If you’re in the UK, listen on BBC Sounds. If you live outside the UK, listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
03:23 The Oscars at its peak
05:00 What is going to be the story of the 2026 Oscars?
06:30 Why are fewer people watching Hollywood movies?
09:20 Foreign made films getting more nominations
12:00 The importance of "Parasite"
14:43 The race for ‘Best Picture’
17:30 The President of the Academy
19:00 The retreat of celebrity activism
23:45 What’s the future for Hollywood film making?