Washington: Emmy Award-winning TV host, writer, producer, and comedian Conan O’Brien will be the sole host for the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025, according to Deadline.
Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang announced that this will mark O’Brien’s first time hosting the Oscars.
“We are thrilled and honoured to have the incomparable Conan O’Brien host the Oscars this year,” said Kramer and Yang in a joint statement. “He is the perfect person to lead ourglobal celebration of film with his brilliant humour, love of movies, and live TV expertise. His remarkable ability to connect with audiences will bring viewers together to do what the Oscars do best-honour the spectacular films and filmmakers of this year.”
“America demanded it, and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars,” joked O’Brien.
While O’Brien has never hosted the Oscars, he previously hosted the Emmys to critical acclaim in 2002 and 2006, as well as the MTV Movie Awards in 2014. He is known for his ability to inject life into awards shows, even when not hosting. In 2021, he went viral for his antics at the Emmys, where he was nominated for Outstanding Variety Talk Series.
“Conan is a preeminent comedic voice, whose decades-long success is marked by his distinctive humour and perspective,” said Craig Erwich, President of Disney Television Group. “He joins an iconic roster of comedy greats who have served in this role, and we are fortunate to have him centre stage for the Oscars.”
“Conan has all the qualities of a great Oscars host-he is incredibly witty, charismatic, and funny, and has proven himself to be a master of live event television,” said Oscars executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan. “We are excited to work with him to deliver a fresh, exciting, and celebratory show for Hollywood’s biggest night.”
O’Brien is best known for hosting the late-night talk shows Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, and Conan. He currently hosts the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. Over his career, he has won five Primetime Emmys and received 31 nominations.
The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC starting at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT and in more than 200 territories worldwide. The official live red carpet show will air at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT, as reported by Deadline.