Who Will Attend the Oscars? Prediction Markets for 98th Academy Awards

• The Oscars are set for this evening at the famed Dolby Theatre in Hollywood
• With the 98th Academy Awards finally upon us, the star-studded affair will draw viewers from all over the globe
• In addition to prediction markets for tonight’s awards, there are markets available for users to trade on who they believe will attend the event

The 98th Academy Awards show officially starts at 7:00 p.m. ET, but the run-up will be similar to the Super Bowl pregame, only with the red carpet and the wardrobes being the focus. Winning an Oscar means validation for a lifetime of work. It also sends a performer or a director’s career to untold heights, giving them the freedom to work on projects they would otherwise have had trouble getting off the ground. Needless to say, it exponentially increases their paycheck.

Many traders are focusing on the 2026 Oscars odds to call their shot on who will win tonight’s top honors. But those who want to weigh in on other categories have the opportunity to do so by predicting who will be in attendance. Since there are some who have already said they will be there, it’s a relatively easy way to make an accurate selection. However, there are also some “maybes” in there whose odds to show face might be low, but there is a reasonably good chance they will appear, or are at least worth a roll of the dice for a big profit.

Odds for Who Will Attend the Oscars

This is one of the more niche prediction markets available on the Kalshi trading platform. Still, some of the names could pop up at Hollywood’s biggest night, and it’s wise to expect a few surprise appearances. Some of those could involve nominated performers who have a reputation for being mercurial and could show or not show based on their mood. That includes the notoriously temperamental Sean Penn, nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in One Battle After Another.

Regardless of the pick and whether they will attend or not, new users can claim the Kalshi referral code to unlock a $10 Sign Up Bonus after completing $10 in trades.

If the selected person attends the 2026 Oscars, the market will resolve to Yes. The source must be a reputable entity like Fox News, USA Today, Vogue, Billboard, CBS, or ABC.

An important note is that if the person attends the red carpet or the ceremony, they will be marked present, like signing the attendance sheet in a college course held in an auditorium.

Hudson Williams

Hudson Williams stars in Heated Rivalry, and it has already been announced that he will attend this year’s Oscars.

All together now:

WHO’S HUDSON WILLIAMS AND WHAT’S HEATED RIVALRY?!?

A quick web search says it’s a Canadian TV series about two hockey players who have a romantic relationship while playing for different teams.

Sort of Brokeback Mountain on skates.

Critics seem to like it.

Regardless, barring an unforeseen issue, Williams is apparently going to be in attendance, and his odds are in the high 90s.

Zendaya

Although Zendaya has not been nominated for any awards, she has been in Los Angeles for several pre-Oscars events like the 2026 Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards, held just a few days before the Oscars themselves.

She was not in attendance in 2025, even though Dune: Part Two, in which she had a starring role, was nominated for five awards, including Best Picture. She is not known to be romantically involved with any nominees since she is still believed to be dating her Spider-Man co-star, Tom Holland.

However, her attendance at several events beforehand and being in the city suggest she might appear. She is currently hovering in the mid-to-upper 80% range to be there.

Sean Penn

As mentioned above, Penn is an unpredictable personality who has expressed indifference, if not outright hostility, at the awards process. Clearly, he sees himself as an artist whose validation is in the work and not an acknowledgment from random individuals who, in his mind, are not in a position to be assessing his performance one way or the other.

Still, he was in attendance when he won Best Actor Oscars for Mystic River and Milk.

This is a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance in One Battle After Another.

Perhaps he will attend to lend support to the director, Paul Thomas Anderson, who is seeking his first win after several nominations.

Penn is bouncing in the odds from the 30% range to the low 40s.

It’s probably better not to expect him to attend, but given the odds, it might be worth a shrugging “Why not?” investment. He could conceivably wake up in a good mood on Sunday or have something political to say on stage if he wins, as he’s favored to do, so it’s a personal benefit to be there.

Ryan Gosling

He has not been nominated this year, but has three past nominations. Two were for Best Actor after his performances in Half Nelson and La La Land. He received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Barbie in 2023. He has never won.

However, he has a major film, Project Hail Mary, about to be released (March 20), and it is already generating buzz for the 2027 Oscars. Being present at this year’s ceremony will certainly draw attention to him and the film. He is hovering at around 25% to be in attendance. He might be in the area since he lives in Santa Barbara, but he has also been on an overseas tour promoting the film.

Taylor Swift

Taylor has yet to make the break into acting as pop stars in her stratosphere, like Lady Gaga, have done to rave reviews and a nomination for Best Actress for A Star is Born.

She seems perfectly content and is undeniably well-compensated for her music and tours. And she has a wedding to plan, as June 13 is being repeatedly referenced as the likely date that she and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will say “I do.”

Expect odds as to whether they will really get married at some point.

Kelce garnered attention this week by shunning retirement and signing on with Kansas City for the 2026 season. Would Taylor want to attend the Oscars to draw some eyeballs herself, presumably with her fiancé?

She’s at 8% and probably won’t be at the Oscars. She was around 20% to attend the Super Bowl and didn’t show, so it’s a shot-in-the-dark pick that is hard to see happening.