Kristen Bell Returning as Host of 2026 Actor Awards

The 2026 Actor Awards just got a lot better.

Just two weeks after nominations for the 32^nd annual ceremony were announced, it’s been confirmed that Kristen Bell will return to host.

The Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA will stream live on Netflix on Sunday, March 1 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles. SAG-AFTRA changed the name from Screen Actors Guild Awards to The Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA last fall, so this will be the first ceremony, which has been around since 1995, under the new name.

“I’ve enjoyed hosting the show every time, so it was an easy decision to come back for a third,” Bell said in a press release. “What I’m most excited for is the fact that I’ll be doing what every actor does best… sing.”

“Kristen Bell knows this show, she knows this community, and she knows how to keep everyone entertained and laughing without ever losing the heart of the night,” said Jon Brockett, showrunner and executive producer for The Actor Awards. “Having Kristen return to host feels like welcoming back a member of the family. One you actually want to hang out with.” 

Bell is no stranger to hosting The Actor Awards. She first hosted in 2018 for the 24^th event, and again just last year. While Bell herself is not nominated this year, her Nobody Wants This co-star, Adam Brody, is nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series. The shows leading the nominations include Adolescence and The Studio, with One Battle After Another and Sinners leading among films. Harrison Ford will be presented with the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award.

Kristen Bell is currently starring in the Netflix comedy series Nobody Wants This, which is coming back for a third season. She also starred in NBC’s The Good Place as Eleanor Shellstrop and Veronica Mars as the titular antiheroine, and voices Anna in Disney’s Frozen franchise. Other notable credits include Gossip Girl and its HBO Max revival, Heroes, House of Lies, Unsupervised, Big Mouth, Encore!, Central Park, Bad Moms, CHiPs, Zootopia, You Again,  Couples Retreat, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Whether Bell kicks off The Actor Awards with another rendition of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” remains to be seen, but fans will have to tune in to the 32^nd Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA on Sunday, March 1 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Netflix.