How to watch The Oscars for free, your guide to live streaming the Academy Awards around the world

Get the popcorn, dim the lights, and settle in - The Oscars are about to begin. Due to start at 7pm ET (11pm GMT / 9am Monday, AEDT) we're just a few hours away from the red carpet. If you're scrambling for a stream, though, don't worry - we're showing you how to watch The Oscars for free right here.

That's right, there are a number of ways to watch the full ceremony and entrance from free live streams in the UK and Australia to free trials for ABC-carrying services in the US.

2026 looks set to be the year of Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, but Sinners, Hamnet, and Marty Supreme are still firmly in the awards conversation. Conan O'Brien will be taking us through all the nominations tonight - live from the Dolby Theatre, LA.

Between those trophies, gags, and monologues, though, expect to see musical performances from HUNTR/X and Sinners' Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq. Robert Downey Jr, Kieran Culkin, Maya Rudolph, and Anne Hathaway are all on the award presentation roster for the evening as well.

A slightly earlier start time means those watching The Oscars from abroad aren't subject to as late a night as in previous years. In fact, it's a leisurely morning for Australian fans, while the UK can still get away with an 11pm start time.

How to watch The Oscars free from anywhere in the world

Those looking to watch The Oscars in the UK or Australia will have access to a free stream courtesy of ITVX and 7Plus respectively. New YouTube TV subscribers in the US can also watch for free with a ten day trial.

If you're currently travelling out of the country, though, you may find yourself locked out of this service. That's because these national services often apply geo-blocks to other regions - thankfully, using a VPN means you can still watch The Oscars for free as if you were sitting right at home.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a security app that can change your IP address's region. Essentially, it tricks streamers into thinking you're still in the UK or Australia when you're watching from all around the world. We recommend NordVPN first and foremost. It's the best VPN for gaming, but it's also packed with extra safety features and offers a 30 day money back guarantee.

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How to watch The Oscars in the US

The Oscars is streaming live on ABC in the US, which means you've got a few streaming options open to you. If you don't already have the channel from your TV provider, you can also watch via YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Fubo TV.

YouTube TV currently has a ten day free trial for new users, while Fubo TV's free trial is slightly shorter at five days. The shortest offer comes from Hulu + Live TV, which only lasts three days. Of the three, YouTube TV will give you the most time with free content and offers a sturdy range of channels and three simultaneous streams.

If you're travelling away from the US while The Oscars is streaming you can still access your content as if you were back home with a VPN. NordVPN starts at $3.39 per month and offers a 30 day money back guarantee.

YouTube TV | 10 day free trial
YouTube TV currently has a ten day free trial available, giving you a free The Oscars live stream as well as CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN and more channels. After the trial period you're looking at $59.99 per month for your first two months and then $82.99 per month for the Base Plan.

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How to watch The Oscars in the UK

Those looking to watch The Oscars free in the UK are in luck. The event will be broadcast by ITV1, with live streaming available on ITVX. The free streamer will be showing both the red carpet and ceremony itself with Jonathan Ross leading coverage.

If you're travelling away from the UK during the show, you can use NordVPN to tune in as if you were back home.

How to watch The Oscars in Australia

Australia also has free The Oscars live streams this weekend. Channel 7 is supplying these broadcasts, with full coverage of the red carpet and main ceremony available via regular airing and on its 7Plus streamer.

Travelling away from Australia? You can still catch The Oscars via 7Plus using NordVPN.

Top Oscars Nominations 2026

Best Picture

• Bugonia
• Frankenstein
• F1
• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another
• The Secret Agent
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners
• Train Dreams

There are two entries being most widely speculated to take the Best Picture trophy in 2026; One Battle After Another out in front with Sinners quietly bubbling away under the surface. The former has been pretty awards-hungry recently, gobbling up Best Film at the AACTA International Awards while Sean Penn took Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role at the Actor Awards earlier this month.

Then we have Sinners. Ryan Coogler's genre-bender has already broken the record for its 16 nominations at the 2026 Academy Awards. It's certainly poised for the win as well.

Best Actor

• Timothée Chalamet - Marty Supreme
• Leonardo DiCaprio - One Battle After Another
• Ethan Hawke - Blue Moon
• Michael B Jordan - Sinners
• Wagner Moura - The Secret Agent

After Chalamet's dramatic fall from grace, and following losses at the BAFTAs and SAG-AFTRA's Actor Awards, this looks like a wide open category. Michael B Jordan is tipped as a favorite for Sinners here, but Leonardo DiCaprio and Ethan Hawke are firm maybes as well.

Best Actress

• Jessie Buckley - Hamnet
• Rose Byrne - If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
• Kate Hudson - Song Sung Blue
• Renate Reinsve - Sentimental Value
• Emma Stone - Bugonia

Jessie Buckley has been cleaning up this awards season, taking home Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role at the Actor Awards, Best Actress in a Leading Role at the BAFAs, Best Actress at the Critics' Choice Awards, and Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama at the Golden Globes. That's a resume Byrne, Hudson, Reinsve, and Stone are going to have a tough time topping.

Best Director

• Ryan Coogler - Sinners
• Josh Safdie - Marty Supreme
• Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another
• Joachim Trier - Sentimental Value
• Chloe Zhao - Hamnet

One Battle After Another is the darling to beat this year, so Paul Thomas Anderson is looking pretty comfortable in the Best Director's chair. History is on Anderson's side, Best Picture usually lands you a Best Director trophy at the same time, but Sinners' Ryan Coogler could also be eyeing up the win here.

The rest of The Oscars nominations

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

• Jacob Elordi - Frankenstein
• Benicio del Toro - One Battle After Another
• Delroy Lindo - Sinners
• Sean Penn - One Battle After Another
• Stellan Skarsgård - Sentimental Value

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

• Elle Fanning - Sentimental Value
• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas - Sentimental Value
• Amy Madigan - Weapons
• Wunmi Mosaku - Sinners
• Teyana Taylor - One Battle After Another

Best Original Screenplay

• Blue Moon
• It Was Just an Accident
• Marty Supreme
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Bugonia
• Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• One Battle After Another
• Train Dreams

Best Original Song

• Dear Me - Diane Warren: Relentless
• Golden - KPop Demon Hunters
• I Lied to You - Sinners
• Sweet Dreams of Joy - Viva Verdi!
• Train Dreams - Train Dreams

Best Original Score

• Bugonia
• Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners

Best Animated Feature

• Arco
• Elio
• KPop Demon Hunters
• Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
• Zootopia 2

Best Documentary Feature

• Come See Me in the Good Light
• Cutting Through the Rocks
• Mr. Nobody Against Putin
• The Alabama Solution
• The Perfect Neighbor

Best International Feature

• It Was Just an Accident
• Sentimental Value
• Sirât
• The Secret Agent
• The Voice of Hind Rajab

Best Animated Short

• Butterfly
• Forevergreen
• Retirement Plan
• The Girl Who Cried Pearls
• The Three Sisters

Best Documentary Short

• All the Empty Rooms
• Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
• Children No More: Were and Are Gone
• The Devil Is Busy
• Perfectly a Strangeness

Best Live Action Short

• A Friend of Dorothy
• Butcher's Stain
• Jane Austen's Period Drama
• The Singers
• Two People Exchanging Saliva

Best Casting

• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners
• The Secret Agent

Best Cinematography

• Frankenstein
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners
• Train Dreams

Best Costume Design

• Avatar: Fire and Ash
• Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• Sinners

Best Make-Up and Hairstyling

• Frankenstein
• Kokuho
• Sinners
• The Smashing Machine
• The Ugly Stepsister

Best Production Design

• Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners

Best Sound

• F1
• Frankenstein
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners
• Sirât

Best Film Editing

• F1
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners

Best Visual Effects

• Avatar: Fire and Ash
• F1
• Jurassic World Rebirth
• Sinners
• The Lost Bus

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