Fans are excited to see the Oscars ceremony unfold this year. After seeing Jimmy Kimmel for the last two years at the center stage, fans look forward to seeing a new host. Conan O’Brien will be hosting the 97th Academy Awards on March 2nd at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Besides its ABC broadcast, this year’s event will stream on Hulu, a first in the history of the Oscars.
From actors to performers to comedy greats, the Oscars have seen several celebrities take over the hosting duties over the years. The first-ever Academy Awards took place as a private dinner, without a formal host. Douglas Fairbanks, Academy President at the time, hosted the dinner alongside Vice-President William C. deMille.
Bob Hope holds the record for hosting the most number of ceremonies. He hosted the Oscars as a solo host 14 times and with others 5 times. Billy Crystal hosted the event nine times and former Tonight Night host Johnny Carson hosted the Oscars five times. Here’s a complete list of the hosts.
1st Academy Awards (1929): Douglas Fairbanks
May 16, 1929: The first Academy Awards ceremony is held in the form of a private dinner party for 250 people in the Blossom Room of the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. The 1st Academy president – and host of the 1929 awards – was silent movie star Douglas Fairbanks Sr. #PopCulture pic.twitter.com/BBP5YM1jCw
— DrPopCulture (@DrPopCultureUSA) May 16, 2021
The first Academy Awards was hosted by AMPAS President Douglas Fairbanks. He was a founding member of the Academy as well as that of the United Artists. He was made President in the first organizational meeting of the AMPAS held at the Biltmore Hotel in 1927.
He was one of the greatest actors in the silent era films, often referred to as The King of Hollywood. He was the first actor to play the masked vigilante Zorro in films.
2nd Academy Awards (1930): William C. deMille
April 3rd 1930
2nd Annual Academy Awards
Mary Pickford Best Actress winner for Coquette
with Hans Kraly, William C. De Mille and Warner Baxter pic.twitter.com/zLdnhP9353— The Book Man (@pensjim66) April 3, 2019
William C. deMille was one of the greatest directors in the silent era films. He was an older brother of Cecil B. DeMille, who was one of the founding members of the Academy. He was given the hosting duties for the second edition of the awards. It was the first ceremony to be broadcast on radio.
Mary Pickford was the Best Actress for her film Coquette. She earlier held a tea party to lobby the members of AMPAS. Warner Baxter received the Best Actor for his role in In Old Arizona. Frank Lloyd won the Best Director Award for The Divine Lady.
3rd Academy Awards (1930): Conrad Nagel
Conrad Nagel, one of the founding members of the Academy, hosted the event in its 3rd edition. After a small clique of celebrities voted for the awards in the previous two editions, the entire membership of the Academy was made eligible to vote for the winners in this edition.
All Quiet on the Western Front became the first film to win both Best Picture and Best Director for Lewis Milestone in Oscars history. George Arliss won the Best Actor Award for Disraeli, while Norma Shearer took home the Best Actress Oscar for The Divorcee.
4th Academy Awards (1931): Lawrence Grant
English actor Lawrence Grant, who was known for his supporting roles in many films, was brought in as the host of the 4th Academy Awards. Cimarron became the first Western film to win the Best Picture Oscar and remained the only one until Dances with Wolves won in 1990.
Nine-year-old Jackie became the youngest Oscar nominee in the Best Actor category, but the award went to Lionel Barrymore for A Free Soul. Marie Dressler won the Best Actress Oscar for Min and Bill.
5th Academy Awards (1932): Conrad Nagel
Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore, Conrad Nagel and Fredric March at the 5th Academy Awards, November 1932#Oscars pic.twitter.com/xFdqOaVJqX
— Old Hollywood (@TheOldHollywood) March 13, 2023
Conrad Nagel was the President of the AMPAS when he hosted the event in 1932. Nagel received help from Lionel Barrymore in organizing the ceremony. Barrymore is a member of the theatrical acting dynasty, the Barrymore family. He is known to fans as the villain Mr. Potter in Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life.
Fredric March went on to win the Best Actor award for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, while Helen Hayes won Best Actress for The Sin of Madelon Claudet. Both these actors hosted the Oscars in later years.
6th Academy Awards (1934): Will Rogers
#OnThisDay: In 1934 at the 6th Academy Awards: “Cavalcade”, Charles Laughton & Katharine Hepburn win, host Will Rogers announces “Come and Get it Frank” and wrong Frank gets up.#Oscars #FilmTwitter pic.twitter.com/0oMnKZ3iMx
— Papaya Films (@PapayaFilms) March 16, 2021
Will Rogers was once the highest-paid star in Hollywood. He was an American vaudeville performer and humorist, whose star status earned him the office of Honorary Mayor of Beverly Hills for two days. He even ran a mock campaign in 1928 for the U.S. presidency.
Rogers hosted the 6th edition of the awards and also presented the awards. His presenting duty ended in one of the first-known awkward Oscar moments in history. For Best Director, he simply announced, “Come up and get it, Frank!”. When Frank Capra went to collect the award, Rogers shared that it was Frank Lloyd who won the award.
7th Academy Awards (1935): Irvin S. Cobb
Screenwriter Irvin S Cobb, host of the 7th Academy Awards in 1935, gives a special, tiny Oscar to Shirley Temple for her ‘outstanding contribution’ to the industry in 1934, a year when the 6-year-old star made 12 movies. pic.twitter.com/Xkq6In1N17
— Yesterday Today (@YesterdayToday9) October 14, 2018
Irvin S. Cobb was an author, humorist, and columnist for the New York World. Several of his short stories served as inspiration for Hollywood films. John Ford’s Judge Priest (1934) and The Sun Shines Bright (1934) were based on his stories.
Frank Capra’s rom-com It Happened One Night swept the top five awards. These included: Best Picture, Best Director for Capra, Best Actor for Clark Gable, Best Actress for Claudette Colbert, and Best Screenplay. Shirley Temple received the Academy’s Juvenile Award, making her the youngest Oscar recipient at six years old.
8th Academy Awards (1936): Frank Capra
Frank Capra was the President of AMPAS when he hosted the Academy Awards for the first time. It also marked the edition where the awards were also called the “Oscars”. Capra was also the head of the Director’s Guild at one point.
John Ford won the Best Director and Victor McLaglen won the Best Actor for the film, The Informer. Bette Davis won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Dangerous.
9th Academy Awards (1937): George Jessel
George Jessel hosted the Academy Awards ceremony in 1936, accompanied by Victor Young Orchestra and Spike Jones on drums. Jessel was a popular entertainer and producer and a recipient of an Honorary Oscar and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. The year marked the introduction of the categories of Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
Walter Brennan and Gale Sondergaard became the first winners of the newly introduced categories for the films Come and Get It and Anthony Adverse respectively. Paul Muni won the Best Actor Award for The Story of Louis Pasteur. Luise Rainer received Best Actress for The Great Ziegfeld.
10th Academy Awards (1938): Bob Burns
Bob Burns was probably the first performer to host the Academy Awards. He was a well-known radio personality and musician. He was famous for the musical instrument of his own invention, called the “bazooka”. He also appeared in several musical films.
Luise Rainer earned a consecutive win in the Best Actress category, marking the first actor in Oscars history. She won for the film The Good Earth. Spencer Tracy was the Best Actor recipient for his role in Captains Courageous.
11th Academy Awards (1939): Frank Capra
THE 11TH ACADEMY AWARDS were held at the Biltmore Bowl of the Biltmore Hotel on Thursday, February 23, 1939. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/mIIM63SjR3
— Aurora (@CitizenScreen) February 23, 2023
In his last year as the President of the Academy, Frank Capra hosted the 11th Academy Awards. It was the year when Capra became the first person to win three Best Director Awards.
Capra won the award for his film, You Can’t Take It with You. The film also went on to win the Best Picture (Outstanding Production) award for Columbia Pictures.
12th Academy Awards (1940), 13th Academy Awards (1941), 14th Academy Awards (1942), and 15th Academy Awards (1943): Bob Hope
Bob Hope was a British-American comedian, who grew popular with his work alongside another legendary comedian, Bing Crosby. Hope first took center stage as the host of the Academy Awards in 1940 and went on to become the Academy’s favorite host. He went on to host a total of 19 times until 1978.
Gone with the Wind earned 13 nominations at the 12th Academy Award, winning eight of them. At the 13th edition, Walter Brennan became the first actor to win the Oscar more than two times. The 14th Oscars is noted in history for the snub of Citizen Kane in the Best Picture category.
Greer Garson delivered the longest Oscar speech at the time, a long six minutes, at the 15th Academy Awards.
16th Academy Awards (1944): Jack Benny
16th Academy Awards 1944, the year CASABLANCA won, the 1st one held at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Jack Benny was Master of Ceremonies,it was internationally broadcast by CBS Radio via shortwave. It lasted less than 30 minutes! #31DaysOfOscar @tcm #AcademyAwards #HollywoodHistory pic.twitter.com/tN21jg8vUG
— Monika Henreid (@MEHenreid) April 2, 2021
Jack Benny hosted the 16th edition of the Oscars which was held in a large public venue, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. It was the first ceremony to invite people from the general public. Benny hosted the event which lasted one hour and 42 minutes.
Casablanca won the Best Picture and Best Director Oscar for Michael Curtiz. Paul Lukas won the Best Actor award for Watch on the Rhine and Jennifer Jones won the Best Actress for The Song of Bernadette.
17th Academy Awards (1945): John Cromwell and Bob Hope
Bob Hope presents a miniature Oscar to Margaret O’Brien, outstanding child actress of the year, in 1945. pic.twitter.com/UFQRMUJCIS
— Aurora (@CitizenScreen) January 16, 2022
Director John Cromwell joined Bob Hope to host the ceremony in 1945. It was the first award to be broadcast nationally on Blue Network (ABC Radio). Hope hosted the 70-minute broadcast and even went on to explain the film clips shown to the radio audience.
Both Going My Way and Wilson earned ten nominations at the event. Darryl F. Zanuck of 20th Century Fox spent a fortune to promote Wilson but Going My Way ended up as the Best Picture winner.
18th Academy Awards (1946): James Stewart and Bob Hope
It was the first Oscars ceremony post the Second World War and the ceremony went back to its pre-war glamour. Bob Hope was joined by Academy Award-winning actor and military aviator, James Stewart, to host the ceremony.
The Lost Weekend won the Best Picture and Best Director Oscar for Billy Wilder. Ray Milland won the Best Actor award for The Lost Weekend and Joan Crawford won the Best Actress for Mildred Pierce.
19th Academy Awards (1947): Jack Benny
Jack Benny returned to the hosting gig for the 19th Academy Awards after earlier hosting the 16th edition of the awards. The Academy obviously preferred the host of the most highly-rated program on radio, The Jack Benny Program, to be the perfect host for the Oscars ceremony.
Interestingly, Benny only hosted the top awards portion of the ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium in LA. World War II veteran Harold Russell, who lost both his hands in the war, won an Honorary Academy Award as well as Best Supporting Actor for the film The Best Years of Our Lives.
20th Academy Awards (1948): Agnes Moorehead and Dick Powell
On this day in 1948, Aggie became the first woman to host the Academy Awards when she cohosted with Dick Powell. Here’s a photo of them with Jean Simmons from that night. 💜#agnesmoorehead pic.twitter.com/3oMqiu3e8p
— Agnes Moorehead (@agnesmooreheads) March 20, 2019
Agnes Moorehead, who garnered four Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress, was the first female host in the history of the Oscars. She shared her hosting duties alongside actor and producer Dick Powell. Notably, the Academy didn’t have a solo female host until 1994, when Whoopi Goldberg was made a solo host.
James Baskett won an Academy Honorary Award, making him the first African-American man to win an acting award. He was also the first actor in a Disney film to win the award.
21st Academy Awards (1949): Robert Montgomery
Actor Robert Montgomery’s hosting duty came after he was twice nominated for Best Actor Oscars. Montgomery was also elected President of the Screen Actors Guild two times.
Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet won the Best Picture and he also took home the Best Actor Oscar for the role in the film. Jane Wyman won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Johnny Belinda.
22nd Academy Awards (1950): Paul Douglas
Paul Douglas and wife Jan Sterling dine at their table in Romanoff’s restaurant in March 1950, after the 22nd Academy Awards ceremony, in Beverly Hills, California. pic.twitter.com/7XC5cEIki0
— Aurora (@CitizenScreen) March 26, 2019
Paul Douglas was a popular actor on radio and television when he was invited to host the Oscars in 1950. Interestingly, it also turned out to be the year when he made his debut in films. It was the last year at the Oscars when all five nominated films in the Best Picture category were in Black & White.
All the King’s Men won the Best Picture, along with two acting Oscars – one for Broderick Crawford for Best Actor and another for Mercedes McCambridge for Best Supporting Actress. Olivia de Havilland won the Best Actress for The Heiress.
23rd Academy Awards (1951): Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire surprised fans with his songs and dances in his prime years. Fans often praised him as the dancer who defied gravity with his gracious performances. He was tasked with hosting the Oscars in 1951. He was later nominated for his supporting role in The Towering Inferno in 1975.
All About Eve broke Gone with the Wind‘s record for most nominations with 14 nominations. It won Best Picture and Best Director for Joseph L. Mankiewicz. José Ferrer won Best Actor for Cyrano de Bergerac and Judy Holliday won Best Actress for Born Yesterday.
24th Academy Awards (1952): Danny Kaye
American actor and comedian Danny Kaye hosted the 24th edition of the Oscars. It was the year before the event was televised and followed the radio broadcast pattern of the event.
While he hosted the Oscars only once, he received two Academy Awards. He received an Academy Honorary Award in 1955 and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1982.
25th Academy Awards (1953): Bob Hope (Hollywood), Conrad Nagel (emcee), and Fredric March (New York City)
Cecil B. DeMille, Gloria Swanson, Bob Hope and Mary Pickford at the 25th Academy Awards, 1953 pic.twitter.com/6toaySKy9n
— asta (@lollasta) April 15, 2022
The 25th edition of the Oscars marked the first time that the event was televised and the first time it was held in Hollywood, LA, and New York simultaneously. Bob Hope served as the host in Hollywood, while two-time Best Actor Fredric March hosted the event in New York City.
The Academy reportedly paid NBC $100,000 to televise the event (via NY Times). The Greatest Show on Earth won Best Picture and John Ford won Best Director for The Quiet Man. The Best Actor and Best Actress Oscars went to Gary Cooper and Shirley Booth respectively.
26th Academy Awards (1954): Donald O’Connor (Hollywood) and Fredric March (New York City)
Donna Reed with Donald O’Connor at the 26th Academy Awards in 1954. Reed won the Oscar for Supporting Actress, portraying a prostitute in “From Here to Eternity”. pic.twitter.com/dbJkLfGo5s
— ℭ𝔬𝔪𝔱𝔢 𝔡𝔢 𝔐𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔢-ℭ𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔬 🍁☯️ (@ChateauDeath) October 5, 2018
Fredric March returned to host the event in New York while musical-comedy star and Emmy winner Donald O’Connor replaced Bob Hope as the host in Hollywood. Fred Zinnemann’s From Here to Eternity won eight awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
William Holden won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in Stalag 17 while Audrey Hepburn received the Best Actress Award for Roman Holiday.
27th Academy Awards (1955): Bob Hope (Hollywood) and Thelma Ritter (New York City)
Host Bob Hope holds Marlon Brando’s Oscar after he won the Best Actor award for “On the Waterfront” in 1955. pic.twitter.com/QYoZW10q9K
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) April 3, 2018
In 1955, Bob Hope came back to host the Oscars from Hollywood and it fell upon character actress Thelma Ritter to host the event from New York City. Marlon Brando’s On the Waterfront equaled the records of Gone with the Wind and From Here to Eternity with eight wins each.
Director Elia Kazan, Brando, and supporting actress Eva Marie Saint won in their respective categories for On the Waterfront. Grace Kelly won the Best Actress Oscar for The Country Girl.
28th Academy Awards (1956): Jerry Lewis (Los Angeles), Claudette Colbert (New York), and Joseph L. Mankiewicz (New York)
Happy Birthday, Jerry Lewis! Lewis seen here at 1956 Academy Awards with presenter Audrey Hepburn pic.twitter.com/oHSheLcFd0
— Audrey Hepburn (@SoAudreyHepburn) March 16, 2017
The King of Comedy Jerry Lewis hosted the Oscars for the first time in 1956 from Hollywood. He was joined by Claudette Colbert and Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Lewis proved to be an incredible host as he and Mankiewicz made several jokes at the expense of the gorgeous Colbert.
Retiring actress and new Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly, who also won the Best Actress award the previous year, attended the ceremony as a presenter. Marty won the Best Picture award, along with Oscars for director Delbert Mann and actor Ernest Borgnine.
29th Academy Awards (1957): Jerry Lewis (Hollywood) and Celeste Holm (New York City)
Jerry Lewis’ charm as a host prompted the Academy to bring him back for the next year as well. Actress Celeste Holm took on the hosting duty from New York City. It also marked the year when Best International Feature Film became a competitive category instead of an honorary award.
The first winner in the category was Federico Fellini’s La Strada. It also marked the first year when all the Best Picture nominees were in color. Around the World in 80 Days won five Oscars including the Best Picture award.
30th Academy Awards (1958): Bob Hope, Rosalind Russell, David Niven, James Stewart, and Jack Lemmon + Donald Duck (voice of Clarence Nash by premade animation)
Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Bob Hope and David Niven having a laugh during the rehearsals for the Academy Awards, 1958. pic.twitter.com/9eaX8yGFyX
— This Is Not Porn (@Thisisnotporn) March 2, 2014
The 30th Academy Awards saw an ensemble of stars hosting the event. Bob Hope and James Stewart reunited after their 1946 gig. David Niven and Jack Lemmon landed their first Oscar hosting gig before being called back for more editions of the event.
American actress and model Rosalind Russell joined them as a female host. It was a memorable show as it featured an animated Donald Duck hosting the show. The character was voiced by Clarence Nash.
31st Academy Awards (1959): Jerry Lewis, Mort Sahl, Tony Randall, Bob Hope, David Niven, and Laurence Olivier
Jerry Lewis at the 1959 #Oscars. Lewis hosted the Academy Awards three times, in 1956, 1957 and the 31st Academy Awards in 1959, which ran twenty minutes short, forcing The actor to improvise to fill time. pic.twitter.com/JMuSHeP3ZX
— Aurora (@CitizenScreen) August 20, 2021
It was Jerry Lewis’s last time hosting the event, and we might know why he never returned to host another Oscar ceremony. The Academy Awards in 1959 had quite a few other celebrity hosts to back Lewis, including returning hosts Bob Hope and David Niven. However, it fell upon Lewis to improvise when the event reached its end with 20 more minutes to go on the clock.
Lewis awkwardly tried to fill the time and it was a painful scene to watch in the Oscars history. He even talked about how the Oscars beat other programs in terms of viewership, which did not paint a great picture of the event.
Niven became the only person in the history of the Oscars to ever host and receive a Best Actor Oscar in the same year. He received the Best Actor Award for his role in Separate Tables.
32nd Academy Awards (1960), 33rd Academy Awards (1961), and 34th Academy Awards (1962): Bob Hope
Bob Hope hosted the event for three years consecutively in 1960, 1961, and 1962. During the ’62 Awards ceremony, Hope received a homemade Oscar statue from a cab driver in Brooklyn. He leaped onto the stage, handed Shelley Winters the fake trophy, and then announced on the microphone:
Ladies and gentlemen, I’m the world’s greatest gatecrasher, and I just came here to present Bob Hope with his 1938 trophy.
He was referring to Hope’s Oscar snub in 1938 for his film, The Big Broadcast of 1938. The Bible epic film Ben-Hur went on to win eleven Oscars at the 1960 Academy Awards, setting a record at the time. The 33rd edition of the Oscars marked the first ceremony to be aired on ABC television.
35th Academy Awards (1963): Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra was a great entertainer at the 35th edition of the Oscars. In his opening monologue, he delivered some smart jokes and took jabs at the Italian arthouse movies. He joked that Hollywood producers might have even helped Da Vinci create the Mona Lisa.
Lawrence of Arabia was the big winner of the night, carrying home seven awards. It remains the only film with a Best Picture win without any female speaking roles.
36th Academy Awards (1964): Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon’s second hosting gig came without any supporting hosts and it ended up not so well for the comedian. He received criticism for his jokes and The New York Times wrote that he was “woefully miscast as master of ceremonies” (via Cinephiled). They further shared that he was also “burdened with wretched gags.”
Lemmon also received criticism for his bit where he read Italian names in a dialect. Many felt that it was disrespectful towards legendary filmmaker Federico Fellini, who clinched the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar for 8 1⁄2.
37th Academy Awards (1965), 38th Academy Awards (1966), 39th Academy Awards (1967), and 40th Academy Awards (1968): Bob Hope
Bob Hope hosted the ceremony four times consecutively from 1965 to 1968. The 1965 Oscars was noted for the snub of Audrey Hepburn in the Best Actress category for her role in My Fair Lady. During the 38th Academy Awards in 1966, he hosted the first Oscar ceremony to be broadcast in color.
At the 39th Academy Awards, siblings Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave were nominated for Best Actress. However, the award eventually went to Elizabeth Taylor for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. The 40th Academy Awards were postponed to two days later due to the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
41st Academy Awards (1969), 42nd Academy Awards (1970), and 43rd Academy Awards (1971): No official host
A nearly 71-year-old Fred Astaire getting down at the 42nd Academy Awards in 1970: pic.twitter.com/8OBMsjch8w
— James Hancock (@colebrax) December 8, 2016
The 41st Academy Awards marked the first time in Oscars history to have no official host for the ceremony. It also marked the only instance in Oscars when the Best Actress award was tied between Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand. The next edition also followed suit and it was the first ceremony to be broadcast via satellite to an international audience.
At the 43rd edition, not only did the event go hostless for the third consecutive year, but it was broadcast by NBC. It was the first time since 1960 that the Oscars returned to NBC. The network continued to air the event annually until 1975.
44th Academy Awards (1972): Helen Hayes, Alan King, Sammy Davis Jr., and Jack Lemmon
Sammy Davis Jr. made history as the first Black host of the Academy Awards in 1972. Moreover, Jack Lemmon redeemed himself as a host and had one of the best moments in Oscar history. He presented the legendary Charlie Chaplin with an honorary Oscar.
The two hosts were also joined by Helen Hayes and Alan King. Hayes was the Best Actress recipient in the 5th edition of the Oscars. It also marked one of the last public appearances of actress Betty Grable, who passed away the following year.
45th Academy Awards (1973): Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston, and Rock Hudson
Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston, and Rock Hudson witnessed one of the most dramatic moments in Oscars history when Marlon Brando sent a proxy to accept his Best Actor Award. Brando won the award for his incredible performance in The Godfather. However, he infamously sent Native American Sacheen Littlefeather to accept the award as a form of protest.
The event also saw controversy over revoking the nomination of Nino Rota’s score for The Godfather. Interestingly, the winner in the category was Charlie Chaplin’s score for Limelight, which was screened in LA only in 1972. The film made in 1952 was largely boycotted in the U.S. for Chaplin’s alleged communist sympathies.
46th Academy Awards (1974): Burt Reynolds, Diana Ross, John Huston, and David Niven
David Niven returned to hosting duties at the Oscars for the third time. He was joined by Burt Reynolds, Diana Ross, and John Huston as co-hosts. The event gained significance in Oscars history for the streaker incident. Photographer Robert Opel streaked across the stage behind Niven and gained himself a celebrity status (via Oscars/YouTube).
In 2024, John Cena and Jimmy Kimmel recreated the famous Oscar streaker moment on its 50th anniversary at the 96th Academy Awards. Cena appeared on stage naked, with a small announcement card covering his private area.
47th Academy Awards (1975): Bob Hope, Shirley MacLaine, Sammy Davis Jr., and Frank Sinatra
Bob Hope was joined by actress Shirley MacLaine and Rat Pack members Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. to host the 47th edition of the Oscars. Hope might be one of the best Oscar hosts ever but that year wasn’t the best in his hosting career.
The group fought within themselves over the politics of the Oscar-winning documentary feature, Hearts and Minds. The film’s creator Bert Schneider read a statement from a member of the Viet Cong, who thanked him for the anti-war movement in the U.S. Hope was a Republican and Schneider’s politics didn’t sit well with him.
He made Sinatra read a statement declaring that the political statements made on stage did not reflect the attitude of the Academy. This angered Shirley MacLaine, who reportedly fought with Sinatra backstage (via The New York Times).
48th Academy Awards (1976): Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, George Segal, Goldie Hawn, and Gene Kelly
The broadcast rights of the 48th Academy Awards went back to ABC after NBC held it since 1971. At the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, actors Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, George Segal, Gene Kelly, and Goldie Hawn took turns hosting the event.
A group of 24 dancers led by Ray Bolger did a special number during the opening ceremony, called Hollywood Honors Its Own. Elizabeth Taylor famously closed the show by leading a salute to the country’s Bicentennial.
49th Academy Awards (1977): Richard Pryor, Ellen Burstyn, Jane Fonda, and Warren Beatty
It’s hard to determine whether to love this quartet or hate them for their hosting gig. Richard Pryor, Ellen Burstyn, Warren Beatty, and Jane Fonda were put in charge of the 49th edition and they proved to be a weird ensemble. Many of their jokes didn’t land and nobody seemed to get their improv. But they still gave the weird cousins energy, with a lot of cross-talk between them.
It was the year when Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky won the Best Picture and Best Director (John Avildsen) Oscars. Peter Finch and Faye Dunaway won the Best Actor and Actress awards for Network.
50th Academy Awards (1978): Bob Hope
After a decade of bringing in an ensemble of celebrity guests to host the ceremony, the Academy once again returned to Bob Hope for his 19th gig. It was the last time that Hope hosted the gig and he was 75 years old at the time. Interestingly, he hadn’t lost his sharp humor and kept the ceremony lean and slick.
It was also the year when Star Wars won in most of the non-acting categories. Woody Allen’s Annie Hall won the Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for Diane Keaton.
51st Academy Awards (1979), 52nd Academy Awards (1980), 53rd Academy Awards (1981), and 54th Academy Awards (1982): Johnny Carson
The beloved host of The Tonight Show was asked to return multiple times after his first hosting gig in 1979. Johnny Carson was an instant hit and brought over his charm from his talk show to the big stage of the Academy Awards.
Carson was able to easily connect with both the celebrity audience in front of him and those at home watching the show. The King of Late Night’s hosting gigs were marked by funny jabs at the nominated movies and often at himself.
55th Academy Awards (1983): Liza Minnelli, Dudley Moore, Richard Pryor, and Walter Matthau
Talk about putting zero effort into rehearsing a major event like the Oscars! The four hosts of the 55th Oscars were completely on different wavelengths. The musical number at the opening ceremony was a big joke, with only Liza Minnelli putting any effort into it. She later mocked her co-hosts in the event, “Richard, Dudley, and Walter are still rehearsing our opening number.”
Louis Gossett Jr. became the first African American actor to win Best Supporting Actor for his role in An Officer and a Gentleman. Bhanu Athaiya became the first Indian to win an Academy Award for Gandhi.
56th Academy Awards (1984): Johnny Carson
Ever wonder why Johnny Carson stopped hosting the #Oscars after the fifth time? It’s because he called that evening, April 9th, 1984, “the longest night I have ever spent.” It was the longest Academy Awards ceremony Carson hosted, at 3 hours & 45 minutes. He probably had enough. pic.twitter.com/94elFA6GGi
— Lights Camera Jackson (@LCJReviews) April 21, 2023
Johnny Carson was asked to return to his hosting gig. Regarding the decision to bring back Carson, Academy president Gene Allen shared, “In past years, Johnny has been a vital element in the ever-increasing success and popularity of the Oscar presentations” (via UPI). It was the last time Carson hosted the prestigious event.
Terms of Endearment won Best Picture, Best Director for James L. Brooks, Best Actress for Shirley MacLaine, and Best Supporting Actor for Jack Nicholson. Robert Duvall won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in Tender Mercies.
57th Academy Awards (1985): Jack Lemmon
Hace 40 años, la edición 57 de los #Oscars fue conducida por once presentadores, capitaneados por Jack Lemmon, ¿quieres conocer a los otros díez?
Aquí tenéis el “Hollywood best new talent” que acompañó a Lemmon en la gala de 1985 ❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/mvletVBqnN— Pau Brunet (@PauBox) February 7, 2025
Jack Lemmon was asked back on the show as a host for the fourth time in 1985. However, the then-60-year-old Lemmon brought along many young blood to host the event alongside him.
His co-hosts in the event included Candice Bergen, Jeff Bridges, Glenn Close, Michael Douglas, Gregory Hines, William Hurt, Amy Irving, Diana Ross, Tom Selleck, and Kathleen Turner.
Amadeus won eight Oscars including the Best Picture award, the Best Director award for Miloš Forman, and the Best Actor award for F. Murray Abraham.
58th Academy Awards (1986): Alan Alda, Jane Fonda, and Robin Williams
Robin Williams was first announced to host the 1986 Academy Awards. Alan Alda and Jane Fonda were later announced as his co-hosts for the event. The multiple hosts were introduced after the Academy wanted to revive the viewers’ interest and reverse the declining ratings. However, the event’s telecast turned out to be the third-lowest rated in the Oscars history.
While Robert Redford and Meryl Streep’s Out of Africa won seven awards, including Best Picture, The Color Purple failed to win any of its eleven nominations.
59th Academy Awards (1987): Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, and Paul Hogan
Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, and Paul Hogan shared hosting duties in one of the weirdest manners at the 59th Academy Awards. Interestingly, the three never appeared together on the stage for the entire ceremony. Paul Hogan, who rose to fame with Crocodile Dundee a few months before that year’s Oscar, was the first to get on stage.
He did his monologue and threw in a few jokes at several actors’ expense. It was the only time we saw Hogan on the stage at that ceremony. Chase, who followed him, did his own monologue. About halfway through the event, Goldie Hawn joins as the third host. Hawn and Chase shared the duties for the rest of the night.
60th Academy Awards (1988): Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase probably impressed the Academy with his first hosting gig that he landed the next year’s gig as a solo host. However, it turned out to be one of the worst decisions from the Academy. He probably didn’t have much help from the writers as the event took place a few days after WGA went on strike that year.
Chase got off on the wrong foot, greeting everyone with the offensive line, “Good evening, Hollywood phonies.” He went on to ramble about film critics in his monologue, which felt weird for the event. He was never invited back as a host again.
61st Academy Awards (1989): No official host
Happy Birthday to Lily Tomlin! Here’s my favourite Tomlin moment. Her surprise entrance at the end of Allen Carr’s infamous, career destroying overblown opening number for the 61st Academy Awards in 1989. pic.twitter.com/jHzRNQ6piG
— Dashiell M. Silva (@dashiellsilva) September 2, 2020
The 1989 ceremony didn’t have an official host which turned out to be a bad decision. Instead of a monologue, the 61st Academy Awards chose to have a grand performance. But show producer Allan Carr’s opening ceremony was anything but grand. The opening number featured Eileen Bowman as Snow White and Rob Lowe as himself, performing a musical number.
Lowe’s off-key music was the least of the problems in the act. At the time, Lowe was involved in a s*x scandal that involved an underage girl. Pairing him up with Snow White was a cringey act that received criticism from all corners. Disney filed a lawsuit for unlawful use of its character, while the Academy formed a committee to address the criticisms. The show effectively destroyed Carr’s career in Hollywood.
62nd Academy Awards (1990), 63rd Academy Awards (1991), 64th Academy Awards (1992), and 65th Academy Awards (1993): Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal is one of the best Oscar hosts to have graced the event in its 97-year history. His showmanship and ability to hold the attention of an entire room came as a blessing for the Academy. He was first handed the duty in 1990 after his hit film When Harry Met Sally…
During the four consecutive years that he hosted the event, he changed the face of the event. Viewers will never forget his comedic acts, including the one time when he entered the stage as Hannibal Lecter (via Oscars/YouTube). He did not hold back from promoting his films on the big stage. He promoted his film City Slickers at the end of the 1991 ceremony by riding offstage on a horse.
66th Academy Awards (1994): Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg, hosting the 66th Academy Awards in 1994 #BHM #Oscars pic.twitter.com/2yfmp33XD3
— Kiri Laurelle Davis (@KiriLaurelle) February 25, 2019
Whoopi Goldberg was nominated for an Emmy award for her first hosting gig in 1994. She became the first Black woman and the first female solo host at the Oscars ceremony. Her hosting gig came after her win in the Best Supporting Actress category in 1991 for Ghost.
She was invited back to host three more times. Goldberg told Variety about her hosting gigs, “I had a great time. The critics didn’t love me, but I never cared much what the critics thought as long as people had a good time.”
67th Academy Awards (1995): David Letterman
David Letterman found out the hard way that it wasn’t as easy to host the Oscars as it was to host a Late Night show. Letterman’s hosting gig was a huge flop and he never returned to host the Oscars ever. Fans who have seen the clips of his gig in 1995 might’ve caught on to his awkward, unfunny, and repetitive joke of “Oprah-Uma”.
Letterman himself called his hosting gig “excrement” during an interview with THR. He also went on to make some uncalled-for, fatphobic jokes against film critic Roger Ebert.
68th Academy Awards (1996): Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg kicked off the 1996 show with, “So, did ya miss me?”. It was a jab at David Letterman’s poorly received hosting gig the previous year. Quincy Jones entered as the first-time producer of the event.
With Oprah Winfrey joining the team to interview celebrities, it almost felt like the Academy was compensating for the lack of Black nominees at the awards that year.
Mel Gibson won Best Picture and Best Director for his film, Braveheart, but Nicolas Cage clinched the Best Actor trophy for Leaving Las Vegas.
69th Academy Awards (1997) & 70th Academy Awards (1998): Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal was the #Oscar host in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004 and 2012. The Academy loved Billy so much that they had him host the Awards nine times.@BillyCrystal #TheOscars pic.twitter.com/fap5laUbig
— Learn Universe (@LearnUniverseIO) March 13, 2023
Billy Crystal’s return to the Oscars after a brief gap proved exactly why we love him as a host. He was familiar with the films, all nominees were friends with him, and he knew how to land his jokes. He always targeted the Academy with his jokes.
In 1997, he shared during his monologue, “It’s great to be back here at the show or as it’s known this year, Sundance by the Sea.” The 70th Academy Awards was viewed by more than 57 million viewers, making it the most-watched Oscars broadcast in history (via Vanity Fair).
71st Academy Awards (1999): Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg’s Entrance: 1999 Oscars pic.twitter.com/y9I4qAIWzC
— Kuato (@wu_tang_guy) January 10, 2024
Whoopi Goldberg took the stage at the 71st Academy Awards, dressed as Queen Elizabeth. She anointed herself as the “African queen” and even went on to quip, “Some of you might know me as the virgin queen, though I can’t imagine who.”
It was also marked by the allegation that Harvey Weinstein lobbied the Academy members for awards for Shakespeare in Love. Fans are yet to get over the fact that the Joseph Fiennes-Gwyneth Paltrow film won Best Picture over Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan.
72nd Academy Awards (2000): Billy Crystal
Fans loved the montage in the 2000 Academy Awards, where Billy Crystal traveled through film history. He appeared in films like Taxi Driver, The Godfather, and The Exorcist in the montage sequence. One of his best bits was the What the Stars Are Thinking gag, where he voices the thoughts of each actor as the camera zooms in on them. He shared:
You know a lot of people want to know what the stars are thinking about during the show, and I’ve done this show a number of times and I can tell you looking into everyone one of these faces, what they’re thinking.
It was a huge hit that Crystal brought it back when he returned to host the Oscars for the eighth time in 2004. Kevin Spacey’s American Beauty was the big winner of the year, with 5 wins out of 8 nominations.
73rd Academy Awards (2001): Steve Martin
EGOT winner Steve Martin was hired to host the Oscars in 2001 when Gil Cates took over as the producer. Cates shared about his choice of host, “He’s a movie star, he’s funny, he’s classy, he’s literate — he’ll be a wonderful host” (via Variety).
Martin had the most humorous response when he was announced as the host. He shared, “If you can’t win ’em, join ’em” (via Chicago Tribune). Martin proved him right and gained critical acclaim for his hosting gig.
74th Academy Awards (2002): Whoopi Goldberg
#Oscars Fun Facts:
At 4 hours & 23 minutes, the longest Academy Awards broadcast was in 2002 and hosted by Whoopi Goldberg in 2002. pic.twitter.com/rGLEd1IjRb
— Papaya Films (@PapayaFilms) February 24, 2019
Hosting the gig for the fourth time, Whoopi Goldberg also set the record for the longest Oscar ceremony in the show’s history at 4 hours and 23 minutes. She made her entry on a swing, dressed in a sexy dance costume, parodying Nicole Kidman’s film Moulin Rouge!.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring had 13 nominations at this Oscars but went on to win only four. Russell Crowe’s A Beautiful Mind tied with LOTR with four wins, including Best Picture. Halle Berry became the only Black actress in Oscars history to win the Best Actress Oscar.
75th Academy Awards (2003): Steve Martin
The 2003 Academy Awards took place just days after the Iraq war took place. The situation was sensitive and the Academy luckily had Steve Martin to handle things gracefully. He couldn’t cut loose with his jokes but he managed to make the audience laugh with his admirable sense of humor.
Chicago won the Best Picture Oscar, while Roman Polanski won the Best Director award for The Pianist. Adrien Brody became the youngest recipient of a Best Actor award, winning it for his role in The Pianist. Nicole Kidman won the Best Actress award for Virginia Woolf.
76th Academy Awards (2004): Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal calls Johnny depp the
sexiest man alive. ( Oscars 2004) pic.twitter.com/75wMMM2SPY— Johnny Depp Lovers {Relatives} (@JDLoverrelative) January 7, 2019
Billy Crystal not only brought back his What the Stars Are Thinking bit but he also made another montage video in 2004 after his 2000 hosting gig. The new montage sequence was a faux-trailer of a man returning to host the Oscars and he appeared in films that were nominated in 2004. He made appearances in Lord of the Rings, Monster, Finding Nemo, Something’s Gotta Give, and other films.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won in all the categories that it was nominated for, including Best Picture. Peter Jackson took home the award for Best Director.
77th Academy Awards (2005): Chris Rock
While Chris Rock‘s hosting gig in 2016 was marred in controversy over the absence of Black nominees, his 2006 gig saw the opposite. Jamie Foxx won the Best Actor and Morgan Freeman won the Best Supporting Actor category.
In his monologue, Rock commented on the Black nominees of the year, “It’s a great night tonight, we have four black nominees tonight. It’s kind of like the Def Oscar Jam.”
78th Academy Awards (2006): Jon Stewart
Fans of his Daily Show were a little disappointed in Jon Stewart‘s first hosting gig in 2006. The host, known for his sharp political humor, clearly avoided those and restrained himself during his opening monologue. While the audiences at the Kodak Theatre enjoyed his quips, his regular viewers felt that he was out of his element.
His delivery was slower than usual, suggesting that each of his punchlines was overthought. However, there were moments when he brought back his Daily Show host persona outside of his monologue. One such moment was when he talked about the giant Oscar statue on the stage, “Do you think that if we all got together and pulled this down that democracy would flourish in Hollywood?”
79th Academy Awards (2007): Ellen DeGeneres
While Ellen DeGeneres received an Emmy nomination for hosting the Oscars in 2007, her gig didn’t receive much critical acclaim. She didn’t take any jabs at anyone, which was very unusual for the talk show host. She was probably excited about the gig, as she shared in her monologue:
This is a big night for me because this really has been a dream for me since I was a little girl — I’ve always wanted to host the Academy Awards, so this is a dream come true.
During the event, she roamed amidst the audience and had a chat with Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorsese. She even got Steven Spielberg to take a photo of her and Eastwood, allegedly for her MySpace.
80th Academy Awards (2008): Jon Stewart
This lovely speech from 🇨🇿 Markéta Irglová (then 19), after she was called back by host Jon Stewart in 2008, is one of my very favourite Oscars moments: “Fair play to those who dare to dream and don’t give up.” pic.twitter.com/9vAHroceug
— Ian Willoughby (@Ian_Willoughby) March 10, 2024
Jon Stewart was given a second chance in 2008 and he tried to rectify his past mistakes from 2006. He gave a more confidently delivered monologue and his jokes were tighter. However, he heaped praises the most for letting the limelight fall on those who deserved it- the winners.
In a famous moment from the night, Stewart used one of his transitions to bring back Czech singer-songwriter Markéta Irglová to the stage. Irglová and Glen Hansard won the Best Original Song Oscar for their song Falling Slowly. Hansard delivered his acceptance speech but Irglová was cut off before she could speak. It was a commendable move from Stewart.
81st Academy Awards (2009): Hugh Jackman
Fan favorite Hugh Jackman hosted the Oscars in 2009 and it was surprisingly good. During his opening monologue, he broke into a musical number where he scooped up Anne Hathaway from her seat and brought her on stage. He sang an ode to the films nominated that year.
He also brought another musical number to the stage, this time featuring Queen Bey, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Amanda Seyfried. It was a medley performance, featuring songs from Chicago, Grease, Moulin Rouge!, and Dreamgirls.
82nd Academy Awards (2010): Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin
Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin felt like a great comedic duo when they were announced as Oscar hosts. However, their hosting gig ended up getting mixed reviews. It was the first co-hosting gig since the 59th Academy Award held in 1987.
While some found it funny and engaging, others felt that the chemistry between Martin and Baldwin felt off throughout the ceremony. Interestingly, they fared much better than the duo that followed them at the next Oscars.
83rd Academy Awards (2011): James Franco and Anne Hathaway
You’d start appreciating Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin’s chemistry once you see James Franco and Anne Hathaway on stage for the Oscars in 2011. It is often considered one of the worst hosting gigs in the history of the awards. The Academy wanted young blood to host the ceremony and appointed two of Hollywood’s most promising actors for the job.
Hathaway put in some effort as she seemed enthusiastic while on stage. Sadly, she had zero chemistry with her co-host Franco. A few critics felt that Hathaway could’ve fared well on her own as the host. Franco was terrible on stage and he rarely made eye contact with the audience. He was acting childish throughout the event, making it an awkward experience.
To top it all, he later entered the stage in drag, dressed as Meryl Streep. It was a hard night for Hollywood to forget.
84th Academy Awards (2012): Billy Crystal
billy crystal monitoring Tom Cruise ( Presenter of the Best Picture) Backstage at the 84th Academy Awards 2012 pic.twitter.com/fAl0oDko5s
— tcarchiverandom (@tcarchive0220) January 2, 2024
After the disastrous hosting the previous year, Billy Crystal was just the person the show needed in 2012. He entered the picture after the previously planned host Eddie Murphy exited just days before the event. Murphy’s exit came after producer Brett Ratner’s sudden resignation.
Crystal noted why it was important to be respectful at the Oscars, sharing, “[The Oscars] celebrate a Hollywood tradition that not only creates memories for the ages but also breeds resentments that last a lifetime.” However, he landed himself in controversy when he used Blackface to imitate Sammy Davis Jr. during the event.
85th Academy Awards (2013): Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane‘s hosting gig in 2013 proved that his kind of comedy would work only on Family Guy. The celebrities arriving at the event, expecting to take home their awards, wouldn’t probably want to hear MacFarlane’s sharp and offensive jokes.
His infamous song, We Saw Your B**bs, didn’t evoke the laughter that MacFarlane thought it should. People were either annoyed or embarrassed as MacFarlane sang about actresses who have appeared n*de in films. William Shatner appeared as Captain Kirk to tell MacFarlane that he messed everything up and he turned out to be spot on.
86th Academy Awards (2014): Ellen DeGeneres
On March 2, 2014, actor Bradley Cooper snapped a group selfie with a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone during the 86th Academy Awards show. The unplanned celebrity portrait was the result of a comedic bit initiated by host Ellen Degeneres. pic.twitter.com/WY3CMnEgjK
— Karl Gehring (@karlgehring) March 2, 2024
When Ellen DeGeneres returned to host another Oscars, she was much more prepared and confident. Not only did she manage to handle the entire ceremony without many mishaps, but she also played a role in making the event relevant to the social media age.
Her selfie, packed with A-listers like Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep, and Julia Roberts, went insanely viral at the time.
87th Academy Awards (2015): Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris was literally Barney Stinson during his entire hosting gig in 2015. He was a charming host during the Emmys, which landed him the Oscar gig. Many loved his jokes but others found that he was unnecessarily mean towards the award recipients and other actors.
Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel earned nine nominations each and won eight awards each. It was Birdman that won the Best Picture award, along with the Best Director award for Alejandro G. Iñárritu.
88th Academy Awards (2016): Chris Rock
88th Academy Awards review: Chris Rock shines, but #OscarsPrettyDull https://t.co/j6swN2bWzc pic.twitter.com/lTlyCoj77V
— Variety (@Variety) February 29, 2016
When Chris Rock took over the hosting gig for the second time in 2016, the event was marred by controversy. The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite was trending on social media before the event, after the lack of significant Black, Asian, and minority ethnic nominees. Rock addressed the controversy head-on during his monologue at the 88th edition of the awards.
He greeted the celebrity guests at the event with the line, “Well, I’m here at the Academy Awards, otherwise known as the White People’s Choice Awards.” However, he took a jab at Jada Pinkett Smith‘s decision to boycott the event, “Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited.”
89th Academy Awards (2017) & 90th Academy Awards (2018): Jimmy Kimmel
Jimmy Kimmel was on stage to handle the mishap when La La Land was wrongly announced as the Best Picture winner instead of Moonlight. He also used the stage to bury his fake feud with Matt Damon, which was a long-running gag on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
He also made fun of Meryl Streep’s “average” career after she was nominated for an Oscar for the 20th time. The Shape of Water and Dunkirk were the major winners of the 90th Academy Awards, with the former winning the Best Picture award.
91st Academy Awards (2019), 92nd Academy Awards (2020), and 93rd Academy Awards (2021): No official host
february 24, 2019
91st academy awards pic.twitter.com/nIDsmhS6qR— Gaga Crave 🌷 (@AMENARTPOP) March 19, 2023
Since 1989’s disastrous hostless event, the Academy made sure to pick a host every year. That was until 2019 when Kevin Hart was initially announced as the host. However, old homophobic tweets from Hart resurfaced, forcing him to back out of the show (via Radio Times).
The ceremony proceeded without a host and saw an improvement in ratings. This encouraged ABC to go hostless in 2020 as well. The 2021 edition, which was delayed due to COVID-19, also did not have an official host.
94th Academy Awards (2022): Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes
The trifecta of female hosts didn’t really work despite the best intentions from the Academy. They stumbled through their on-off chemistry and made jokes that felt too dated. Even if they had some shining moments here and there, they were robbed of the spotlight by the infamous slap incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock.
In response, the Academy banned Smith from attending its events for a decade. The incident also took away from the notable Academy Award wins of CODA and Dune, with the former winning the Best Picture award.
95th Academy Awards (2023) & 96th Academy Awards (2024): Jimmy Kimmel
Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel goes full out ‘Barbie’ in opening monologue https://t.co/4wem8HHZ1r pic.twitter.com/f4nwhPUCmn
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) March 11, 2024
Three hostless Oscars and an ensemble hosting gig later, the Academy decided to go back to Jimmy Kimmel, whom they found to be a reliable host. When he hosted the 2024 ceremony, he joined the likes of Whoopi Goldberg and Jack Lemmon as four-time emcee of the event. However, he turned down a fifth gig in 2025. He shared the reason on the Politickin’ podcast:
I just decided I didn’t want to deal with that this year. It was just too much last year. You wind up pushing everything off till after the Oscars, and then you have to do everything you promised to do after the Oscars, after the Oscars. I did two years [2017 and 2018], it went well. I did another two years [2023 and 2024], it went well. I figured I’d take a little break.
When Kimmel was picked to host the event for the 96th Academy Awards, he shared, “I always dreamed of hosting the Oscars exactly four times” (via The Guardian). It will probably be another few years before we get Kimmel back as a host.
97th Academy Awards (2025): Conan O’Brien
Conan O’Brien is all set to host his first Oscars ceremony ever. He has been largely absent from television ever since he retired from late-night television in June 2021. Fans have high hopes for this hosting gig after O’Brien’s previous gigs were hugely successful and received critical acclaim.
He previously hosted the 54th and 58th editions of the Primetime Emmy Awards. ABC recently dropped a promo and behind-the-scenes look into O’Brien’s preparation for the upcoming Oscars.
The 97th Academy Awards airs on Sunday, March 2, at 8 PM ET on ABC.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
