The 2025 Oscars Gets The Perfect Comedic Host

The search has come to an end! After Jimmy Kimmel said no to hosting the Academy Awards next year, John Mulaney was far too busy to sneak it into his schedule and even Deadpool & Wolverine’s Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman couldn’t make it happen, someone has finally been chosen to host the 97th Oscars. Comedian Conan O’Brien is the choice to make sure the show runs smoothly and one has to wonder why this particular choice wasn’t made a long time ago.

Per Deadline, Conan O’Brien has officially been chosen to host the 97th Annual Academy Awards on March 2, 2025. The news was made official by the Academy across their social media, with Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Janet Yang announcing it today. For those keeping score, this will be O’Briens first time hosting Hollywood’s biggest night. In a statement, Kramer and Yang said:

“We are thrilled and honored to have the incomparable Conan O’Brien host the Oscars this year. He is the perfect person to help lead our global celebration of film with his brilliant humor, his love of movies, and his live TV expertise. His remarkable ability to connect with audiences will bring viewers together to do what the Oscars do best–honor the spectacular films and filmmakers of this year.”

O’Brien had a bit of fun with the news in his own statement, with the Emmy Award-winning comedian saying, “America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars.” Honestly, this is one of the best choices the Academy has made in terms of hosting duties because O’Brien has been an industry staple for years and is one of the funniest people in the business. His brand of humor should fit in nicely as he can be slyly offensive but also universally hilarious without causing a stir.

The Academy Was Considering Different Hosting Formats Before Choosing Conan O’Brien

The last time the news was circulating about hosting duties for the Oscars, it looked like the Academy was considering a format that would involve multiple hosts, something they have done in the past. Reynolds and Jackman’s names were floated around as potential participants, mostly because of the success of Deadpool & Wolverine and their effortless chemistry, but Reynolds recently debunked that. Other celebrity names mentioned in the multiple-host format were Dwayne Johnson, Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler.

Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted admirably four times, was the first choice to return for next year’s ceremony, but the late-night host turned it down to focus on his show and spend time with his family as taking on hosting the Oscars can be very time-consuming. Another name in the hate was Mulaney, who hosted the non-televised Governors Awards and had a presenting moment at the most recent ceremony that was well-received. The comedian also had to turn down the gig due to a busy schedule.

O’Brien’s name wasn’t publicly in the mix, but it comes as no surprise why he was chosen given his pedigree. He’s an accomplished television host, comedian, writer, and producer who has tackled the world of late night with his show Late Night with Conan O’Brien from 1993-2009, a brief stint on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, and his TBS late-night show, Conan, from 2010-2021. In addition to hosting late night, O’Brien has been a writer for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. For his late-night work, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series during Late Night with Conan O’Brien’s run. He’s also no stranger to hosting big events, having hosted the Emmy Awards in 2002 and 2006.