Who’s Hosting the Oscars in 2019?
Who's hosting the Oscars in 2019?
It looks like the host of the 2019 Academy Awards will be... nobody.
For the first time in 30 years, this year's Oscars ceremony will not have an official host. While there’s always a chance they find someone at the last minute, ABC entertainment president Karey Burke confirmed the 91st annual Academy Awards—which air Sunday, Feb. 24—would forgo a host and "just have presenters host the Oscars" instead.
But has a host-free Oscars ever happened before?
Yes, the last time this happened was in 1989 and the ceremony was described as "the worst Oscars ever." Normally, the host's duties include opening the ceremony with a funny monologue that focuses on the movies nominated, as well as the stars in the audience, and traditionally takes aim at the current political and cultural climate. This year there will be none of that. The Academy's decision seems a little risky, but after all the controversy and drama surrounding the awards this year, they didn't exactly have a choice.
What was the controversy surrounding Kevin Hart and the 2019 Oscars?
The Academy initially announced that Kevin Hart would be stepping into the role of host this year. But, after a few days, the comedian backed out of the gig when some homophobic jokes he made several years ago resurfaced.
In a message posted to Twitter, he wrote: “I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year’s Oscars," he wrote. "This is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past."
Why doesn’t anyone else want to host the Oscars?
There were so many other A-listers the Academy could have chosen (like Ellen DeGeneres or Jimmy Kimmel), but it turns out there weren't many people lining up for the job. Though it's been reported that the gig pays anywhere between $15,000 and $20,000, the controversy didn't exactly make the role appealing anymore.
Who's presenting at the 2019 Oscars?
Despite not having an Oscars host this year, there will be plenty of amazing presenters to make up for it. It's been confirmed that Jennifer Lopez, Chris Evans, Tina Fey, Brie Larson, Amy Poehler, Whoopi Goldberg, Maya Rudolph, Charlize Theron, Tessa Thompson and more will be handing out Oscar statuettes at the ceremony. Therefore, we can probably expect the presenters will have longer speeches prepared for them to read on the teleprompter.