LOS ANGELES — Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel will emcee the 95th Academy Awards, the show's producers announced Monday, returning to the Oscars stage for the third time following back-to-back stints in 2017 and 2018. The show is set to air March 12 on ABC.
In Kimmel, the motion picture academy and ABC — which airs "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" — see a trusted comedic veteran who is adept at delivering both sharp political barbs and broadly silly shtick, and has proven he can handle the pressure and unpredictability of the Oscars. The first time Kimmel hosted, the show went spectacularly off the tracks in its final moments when "La La Land" was mistakenly named best picture instead of the actual winner, "Moonlight."
"We're super thrilled to have Jimmy score his hat trick on this global stage," this year's Oscar producers, Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner — themselves seasoned veterans of live TV events — said in a joint statement. "We know he will be funny and ready for anything!"
