The Oscars Will Be Without A Host For The Second Year In A Row
For the second year in a row, the Oscars will be without a host. The annual show, which honors the best and brightest in the film industry, is scheduled to air in one month. The decision was made to continue without a formal host after an uptick in ratings last year when the Oscars used an announcer and celebrity presenters to move the show forward in a timely manner.
ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke made the announcement about the show going sans host at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour, stated The Hollywood Reporter.
“Let me confirm it now, together with the Academy, that there will be no traditional host this year,” Burke explained to the press, attempting to piggyback on the success of a formula that worked in 2019.
The decision was made to repeat the same format as last year after viewership of the show spiked in ratings, up 11.5 percent from the year prior, averaging 30 million viewers. The change in viewership was significant, noted The Hollywood Reporter, who reported that in 2018, overall viewing of the show was down to 26.54 million viewers.
In 2019, the 91st Academy Awards hired comedian Kevin Hart to helm the ceremony, keep it moving and provide some comedic relief. Hart stepped down from his role as Oscars host after a series of past tweets resurfaced where the comedian had used homophobic slurs.
The Hollywood Reporter noted that for years prior, some of the most talented actors and comedians in the industry had hosted the most glamorous night in Hollywood, including Bob Hope, Jon Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Billy Crystal, Seth MacFarlane, Ellen DeGeneres, Neil Patrick Harris, Chris Rock, Jimmy Kimmel, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, James Franco, and Anne Hathaway.
The official Oscars site announced that two women would be producing the show for the very first time, Oscar-nominated producer Lynette Howell Taylor and producer Stephanie Allain. Howell Taylor was nominated in 2019 for her work in the film A Star Is Born. Allain produced the films Hustle & Flow and Dear White People.
The site also noted that the show will be directed by former Oscars director Glenn Weiss, who has helmed four previous Academy Awards telecasts, for which he won two Primetime Emmy Awards.
While the top nominations for acting, film, and directing for the 2020 Oscars have yet to be announced, the official site has provided a shortlist of contenders, including those in the categories of Best Song, Visual Effects, Animated Short Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Live Action Short Film, International Feature Film, Original Score, Documentary and Visual Effects.
Nominees will be announced on the morning of Monday, January 13 on ABC.
The 92nd Academy Awards will air live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on Sunday, February 9, beginning at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. The show will also be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
