Jimmy Kimmel Will Host The Oscars Again

While it'll be hard to top Bob Hope's Oscar hosting record, it looks like Jimmy Kimmel will be attempting to do so. That's because the late-night host has been confirmed to host the 95th annual Academy Awards in 2023, marking his third time in the role. He had previously hosted the prestigious ceremony in 2017 and 2018, the former of which went down in infamy after a backstage card mix-up caused confusion over whether "Moonlight" or "La La Land" won Best Picture.

"Being invited to host the Oscars for a third time is either a great honor or a trap," wrote Kimmel in a statement (via Vanity Fair) on the hiring. "Either way, I am grateful to the Academy for asking me so quickly after everyone good said no."

The last time Kimmel hosted an awards ceremony was at the 2020 Emmys. Allow us to remind you that that ceremony involved presenters physically standing outside of the homes of nominees, the result of which was awkwardly documented by Ramy Youssef.

Sure, the weird three-act structure of 2022's Oscars proved to be a bit of a dud. 2021's ceremony, overseen by Steven Soderbergh, also took major risks that resulted in arguably one of the biggest snubs in the institution's history. However, the hiring of Kimmel for such a major milestone for the Academy seems safe, arguably almost too safe. It bears repeating that, outside of the 2017 Best Picture debacle, Kimmel was actually pretty unremarkable and bland as a host. His segments could probably elicit a couple of dry chuckles, but the circumstances surrounding his hosting are pretty much the only reason he has even been a multiple-time host.

However, I suppose there could be worse choices. It could have been hosted by the likes of James Corden or Dave Chappelle, so I guess we should count our blessings.

Not much else is currently known about the 95th Academy Awards. The ceremony will take place on March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Longtime producers Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner will return to oversee the ceremony, which Academy CEO Bill Kramer teased to Vanity Fair this past August.

"We want to return to a show that has reverence for film and 95 years of the Oscars," he said.