Academy Awards 2020: Oscars Telecast to Go Host-Less for Second Year

Oscars Will Have No Host For Second Year in a Row

Following in the footsteps of last year’s ceremony, the 2020 Oscars telecast will be presented without a host.

According to Deadline, Karey Burke, the entertainment president of ABC, confirmed the decision earlier today. “[We’re] repeating what worked for us last year,” she said, implying that this year’s show will also have “huge entertainment value, big musical numbers, comedy, and star power.”

The 91^st Academy Awards ceremony was the first time in three decades that it proceeded without a host. Actor and comedian Kevin Hart was originally set to emcee, but withdrew after past controversial tweets of his resurfaced. Crunched for time and hoping to trim down the show’s length, the Academy and ABC decided to move forward without a host rather than recast the role.

The decision proved to be advantageous, as the program saw a 12% rise in viewership, a 30-minute reduction in length, and generally favorable reviews.

Hopes for a successful sequel

Burke had previously hinted that the network would consider keeping up the host-less trend. “We’re extremely proud of how the show turned out creatively…[so] we’re not messing with that format, to the best of our abilities,” she had said back in the spring.

So far, this awards season has seen multiple box-office powerhouses and audience favorites in contention for top prizes. ABC network executives are hopeful that those titles – if nominated – will bring a large viewing audience with them to the telecast. They’re also banking on last year’s formula of high-profile presenters and memorable musical moments to buoy the ceremony’s energy.

Looking towards the future

However, ABC is not ruling out the possibility of having hosts for future ceremonies. “…[T]here may be a day when we decide to have a host again,” Burke stated, “but the focus has been on most entertaining show.” She clarified that it will be a per-year decision by the network, based on the films and artists that are nominated.

Given how much backlash the ceremony faced just trying to get off the ground last year – from the abandoned “Popular Film” category to the original plan of relegating certain awards to the commercial breaks – it’s miraculous how entertaining the show itself turned out (criticism for the actual award winners notwithstanding). Hopefully the telecast’s producers will be able to work the same magic this time around.

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