Conan O'Brien Shouted at Martin Short at the End of This Year's Oscars Ceremony

There's an entire generation of comedians who look up to Martin Short, so while he didn't seem to be in attendance at the 2026 Oscars, host Conan O'Brien shouted him out anyway. At the very end of the show, he said, “We love you, Marty Short!” as he signed off.

The sign-off may have seemed oddly specific for such a globally watched event, but there was a specific reason that he decided to end the show that way. Here's what we know.

Conan didn't state this explicitly, but it appears that he called out his friend Martin Short following the news that Martin's daughter, Katherine Short, had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in February. Following the news of Katherine's death, Steve and Martin postponed their comedy tour, The Best of Steve Martin & Martin Short, and it's unclear whether there are plans for the tour to resume.

“It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short,” Martin Short’s representative said in a statement. “The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time. Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world.”

The news of Katherine's death came just weeks after the death of Catherine O'Hara, who was Martin's co-star on SCTV and a close friend.

Conan and Martin have been friends for years, and he has been a frequent guest on Conan's late-night talk shows as well as on his podcast.

While Martin was not in attendance at the ceremony, Conan seems to have used the final moments of the telecast as a signal to a close friend who is going through an unimaginable time. Martin has not been seen in public or spoken about his daughter at all since the news broke.

Although Conan definitely kept things mostly light, as he often does, he did take a few opportunities to deliver more serious messages to those watching the telecast.

"If I can be serious for just a moment, everyone watching right now around the world is all too aware that these are very chaotic, frightening times. It’s at moments like these that I believe the Oscars are particularly resonant," he said near the end of his monologue.

"31 countries across six continents are represented this evening. And every film we salute is the product of thousands of people speaking different languages, working hard to make something of beauty. We pay tribute tonight not just to film but to the ideals of global artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience, and that rarest of qualities today, optimism," he added.

Conan has become an audience favorite as host and will likely have the job as long as he wants to keep doing it. His tribute to a close friend is just one of the reasons why he's so beloved.