The 98th Academy Awards, airing tonight from the Dolby Theatre, will feature an expanded In Memoriam segment to honor an unprecedented year of loss for the film industry. Executive producers Katy Mullan and Raj Kapoor confirmed that the tribute has been extended to ensure icons like Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, and Rob Reiner receive proper recognition. "We've had an incredibly tough year," Mullan told Variety, noting that the segment was shaped with "extreme sensitivity" to honor the staggering number of cinema titans lost in 2025.

The segment is expected to feature a rare musical performance by Barbra Streisand in honor of her The Way We Were co-star, Robert Redford, who passed away at age 89 on September 16, 2025. The Academy will also pay tribute to Oscar-winner Diane Keaton, who died at age 79 on October 11, 2025, following a sudden battle with primary bacterial pneumonia. According to reports from The Daily Beast and The Times of India, the tribute aims to capture the "singular" spirit of these generational talents who defined decades of American cinema.

In a highly anticipated reunion, When Harry Met Sally stars Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan are slated to appear onstage together to remember director Rob Reiner. Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were tragically killed in their Brentwood home on December 14, 2025. Hosted by Conan O'Brien, the 2026 ceremony also celebrates a record-breaking year for Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which enters the night as the frontrunner with 16 nominations.