Gene Hackman was not forgotten by the Academy in 2026. He had already received a dedicated tribute at the 2025 Oscars, just days after his death, and was included in the Academy’s official 2025 In Memoriam archive. The 2026 memorial cycle covered people who died between the 2025 and 2026 ceremonies, which is why Hackman was not repeated in the televised segment.
Gene Hackman was not forgotten or overlooked by the Academy in 2026. He had already been honored at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025, only days after his death. Morgan Freeman delivered a dedicated tribute to Hackman before the ceremony’s broader In Memoriam montage, and Hackman also appears in the Academy’s official 2025 memorial archive.
The most evidence-based explanation for his absence from the televised segment at the 98th Oscars on March 15, 2026 is that the Academy did not repeat people it had already memorialized in the previous awards cycle. The Academy’s 2026 memorial archive describes that year’s group as artists and filmmakers who died between the 2025 and 2026 Oscars. However, the Academy has not published a separate statement saying, in those exact words, why Hackman was not shown again. That conclusion is an inference from the Academy’s memorial archives and the way Hackman was honored in 2025.
Hackman was honored at the 2025 Oscars
Hackman’s death occurred at an unusual point in the Oscars calendar. He died on February 26, 2025, at age 95; news of his death was announced on February 27, just days before the ceremony.
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Rather than waiting until the following year’s ceremony, the Academy incorporated Hackman into the 2025 broadcast. Morgan Freeman, who described Hackman as a dear friend, gave him a separate onstage remembrance. That tribute came before the regular memorial montage, which recognized other film figures who had died since the preceding Oscars.
This was not merely an informal mention. The Academy’s official 2025 In Memoriam archive lists Hackman among the actors and filmmakers remembered between the 2024 and 2025 ceremonies. In other words, Hackman received both a prominent individual tribute during the broadcast and an entry in the Academy’s corresponding online memorial record.
What the 2026 In Memoriam segment covered
The 2026 memorial page uses a defined time period: it remembers artists and filmmakers lost between the 2025 and 2026 Oscars. That wording matters because the annual segment is not intended to be a cumulative roll call of every person the Academy has ever honored.
Hackman had already been included in the immediately preceding cycle. His death fell just before the 2025 ceremony, so the Academy handled his memorial recognition then instead of carrying it forward to 2026. His absence from the 2026 broadcast is therefore best understood as non-repetition, not exclusion based on his stature or career.
It is important not to overstate the evidence. The Academy has not released a Hackman-specific explanation that says, “He was omitted because he was honored in 2025.” The conclusion follows from three documented facts:
- Hackman died just before the 2025 Oscars.
- He received a dedicated tribute from Morgan Freeman at that ceremony and appears in the Academy’s 2025 memorial archive.
- The Academy’s 2026 memorial archive covers losses occurring between the 2025 and 2026 ceremonies.
Why viewers thought his absence was a snub
Hackman was an especially conspicuous name to leave out of a memorial montage. He was a two-time Oscar winner: he won Best Actor for The French Connection and Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven. The Academy’s awards records list five acting nominations in total, including those two wins.
For viewers who remembered Hackman as one of the defining actors of his generation, seeing other names in the 2026 montage but not his could easily look like a mistake or a snub. But fame and awards history were not the relevant criteria in this particular comparison. The key question was whether Hackman had already been memorialized in the previous Oscars cycle. He had.
For viewers wanting to revisit the performances behind those wins, The French Connection Blu-ray is one possible place to start; check the edition, region and current availability before buying.
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There is another reason the annual segment can create confusion: the televised montage is necessarily selective. Reporting about the 2026 ceremony said the Academy received hundreds of requests and that a cross-branch executive committee considered which names should make the broadcast. The segment also had to fit within a limited runtime.
That means the television presentation is not a definitive list of every film-industry professional who died during the relevant period. The committee has to balance actors with directors, producers, writers, craftspeople and other contributors. Reporting by The Guardian described the process as reducing a very long list to a broadcast selection of roughly 30 names. It also noted that people primarily associated with television may be left out of the Oscars segment even when they have film credits.
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Names not shown during the broadcast may still appear in the Academy’s online memorial archive. The existence of an archive and the shorter television segment are therefore not contradictory: the archive can preserve a broader record, while the broadcast has to make difficult choices about time and representation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.So, was Gene Hackman omitted from the 2026 Oscars In Memoriam?
Not in the sense of being forgotten. Hackman was already recognized at the 2025 Oscars, where Morgan Freeman gave a dedicated tribute before the annual memorial montage. He was also included in the Academy’s official 2025 memorial archive.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Because the 2026 memorial cycle covered people who died between the 2025 and 2026 ceremonies, Hackman was not repeated in that year’s televised segment. That is the strongest explanation supported by the available record, although it remains an evidence-based inference rather than an explicit, Hackman-specific ruling published by the Academy.
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His absence may have been noticeable because of his two Oscar wins and enormous influence, but it should not be read as evidence that the Academy failed to acknowledge him. In fact, the timing of his death led to one of the more prominent individual tributes in the 2025 ceremony.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Gene Hackman forgotten by the Academy?
No. Hackman was honored at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025. Morgan Freeman delivered a dedicated tribute to him before the regular In Memoriam montage, and Hackman appears in the Academy’s official 2025 memorial archive.
Why wasn’t Gene Hackman shown in the 2026 Oscars In Memoriam segment?
The Academy’s 2026 memorial archive covers artists and filmmakers who died between the 2025 and 2026 Oscars. Because Hackman had already been memorialized in 2025, the evidence suggests he was not repeated in the 2026 segment. The Academy has not issued a separate statement explaining his absence in those exact terms.
When did Gene Hackman die?
Hackman died on February 26, 2025, at age 95. His death was announced on February 27, shortly before the 97th Oscars on March 2.
How many Oscars did Gene Hackman win?
Hackman won Best Actor for The French Connection and Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven. The Academy records five acting nominations for him in total.
The Bottom Line
Gene Hackman was not forgotten at the 2026 Oscars. He had already been honored at the 2025 ceremony, just days after his death, when Morgan Freeman gave a dedicated tribute, and he was listed in the Academy’s 2025 In Memoriam archive. Since the 2026 memorial covered people lost between the 2025 and 2026 Oscars, Hackman was not repeated. The Academy has not issued a separate statement explicitly confirming that as the reason.
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