The annual Vanity Fair Oscar party, one of Hollywood’s most coveted after-party invitations, is undergoing a major reset for 2026, and the Trump administration won’t be attending.
Organisers have dramatically tightened the guest list this year, reportedly cutting the roster by around half and excluding political figures from the current White House, including President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump and senior Trump officials, Page Six reported.
Guest list to feature genuine Oscar winners
Under new leadership at Vanity Fair, global editorial director Mark Guiducci, who took over from Radhika Jones in June last year, the event is returning to its original emphasis on top-tier Hollywood talent and genuine Oscar winners.
According to Page Six, Guiducci wants to restore the party’s elite reputation by removing attendees who are famous for power or politics rather than film achievements. Only those with a personal invitation or an actual Oscar statuette are expected to get through the door.
New guest list, a political shift?
The reported exclusion of Trump and key Trump administration figures marks a clear shift from past years, when political VIPs often appeared alongside movie stars. In previous editions of the Vanity Fair party, figures such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris have mingled with Hollywood A-listers, and even Trump and Melania themselves made appearances in the mid-2000s and early 2010s.
Adding to the exclusivity, this year’s event is moving away from its traditional press-friendly approach: press will be kept outside of the main party area, and social media use inside the venue is reportedly prohibited, a nod to restoring privacy and mystique around the guest list and the evening’s candid moments.
The 98th Academy Awards, is scheduled for March 15, and the Vanity Fair party will follow at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), maintaining its position as the most sought-after Hollywood after-party even as its guest list becomes noticeably smaller.