Inside the Rolex Greenroom at the 2026 Academy Awards

The most exclusive ticket at the Academy Awards isn’t a seat among the A-listers at orchestra level, or even an invitation to the Governor’s Ball. After all, anyone with the right connections can get into either of those. The Rolex Oscars Greenroom, however, is strictly off-limits to all but the evening’s most important guests. As an inner sanctum where presenters, nominees, and winners can decompress as the ceremony unfolds, the Greenroom is just one of many ways in which Rolex makes its presence felt at Hollywood’s biggest night.

Rolex and cinema have a long history dating back to the notable appearances of Rolex watches in golden-era classics like 1958’s The Silent Enemy and Goldfinger. The brand’s commitment to cinema, however, runs far deeper than its watches’ cameos on the wrists of Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, and countless other A-list stars over the decades.

As part of the Rolex Perpetual Arts Initiative, a global framework encompassing architecture, cinema, dance, literature, music, theatre, and visual arts, Rolex has also established itself as an important player behind the scenes. The brand’s initiative extends to a mentorship program that pairs budding filmmakers with industry legends, including Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee, and to its role as a founding supporter of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which opened in Los Angeles in 2021.

Then, of course, there’s the Rolex Greenroom at the Academy Awards. In the theatre, a “green room” is a place where actors can prepare for their performances, and while the origins of the term aren’t definitively known, some trace it back to the Blackfriars Theatre in 16th-century London. Regardless, the aptness of naming a green room after a company synonymous with a deep, rich shade of green speaks for itself.

For the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, Rolex has unveiled a design tied to a major milestone in its history: the 100th anniversary of the Oyster, the brand’s waterproof watch introduced in 1926. As in previous years, the space is decked out in green velvet and brushed champagne-gold metal, with portraits of figures from Oscar history lining the walls. Also on display in its own dramatically lit display case is an Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona in 18-carat yellow gold with a green dial. Aside from matching the decor, the Daytona’s association with 10-time Oscar nominee Paul Newman adds another layer of meaning to the space.

Despite the pomp and ceremony of the Greenroom and Rolex’s many other cinematic initiatives, perhaps the most prominent Rolex placements of the night will be as an accessory on the evening’s biggest stars. Foremost among them at this year’s awards is Rolex Testimonee Leonardo DiCaprio, who is up for his eighth career Academy Award nomination (and sixth for Best Actor) for his role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. Taking home a statuette would be a milestone for the actor, and — thanks to the Rolex on his wrist — the latest in the watchmaker’s long tradition of historic cameos. 

FEATURE PHOTO COURTESY OF ROLEX.

The post Inside the Rolex Greenroom at the 2026 Academy Awards appeared first on Sharp Magazine.