OSCAR HISTORY: Hosts of the Oscar Ceremonies

Hosting the yearly Academy Awards telecast is often described as the toughest gig in show business. A good host has to have so many talents to run the show effectively, and over the years, the Academy has found a select few who have ended up becoming the pinnacle for what everyone thinks is a good Oscar host, someone who ends up becoming so associated with the Oscars as to make the audience wish they would return every year. But throughout Oscar history, and through experiments of multiple hosts, a broad range of individuals have taken on the task, and created memorable moments all their own.


96th Awards (March 10, 2024): Jimmy Kimmel     (View Opening Monologue)
95th Awards (March 12, 2023): Jimmy Kimmel     (View Opening Monologue)
94th Awards (March 27, 2022): Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, & Wanda Sykes     (View Opening Monologue)
93rd Awards (April 25, 2021): NO HOST     (View Ceremony Moments)
92nd Awards (February 9, 2020): NO HOST     (View Opening Number)
91st Awards (February 24, 2019) : NO HOST     (View Ceremony Intro)
90th Awards (March 4, 2018): Jimmy Kimmel     (View Oscar Moment)
89th Awards (February 26, 2017): Jimmy Kimmel     (View Opening Monologue)
88th Awards (February 28, 2016): Chris Rock     (View Opening Monologue)
87th Awards (February 22, 2015): Neil Patrick Harris     (View Hosting Recap)
86th Awards (March 2, 2014): Ellen DeGeneres     (View Selfie Moment)
85th Awards (February 24, 2013): Seth McFarlane     (View Hosting Recap)
84th Awards (February 26, 2012): Billy Crystal     (View Opening Monologue)
83rd Awards (February 27, 2011): James Franco & Anne Hathaway     (View Opening Monologue)
82nd Awards (March 7, 2010): Steve Martin & Alec Baldwin     (View Opening Monologue)
81st Awards (February 22, 2009): Hugh Jackman     (View Opening Monologue)
80th Awards (February 24, 2008): Jon Stewart     (View Opening Monologue)
79th Awards (February 25, 2007): Ellen DeGeneres     (View Opening Monologue)
78th Awards (March 5, 2006): Jon Stewart     (View Opening Monologue)
77th Awards (February 27, 2005): Chris Rock     (View Opening Monologue)
76th Awards (February 29, 2004): Billy Crystal     (View Opening)
75th Awards (March 23, 2003): Steve Martin     (View Opening Monologue)
74th Awards (March 24, 2002): Whoopi Goldberg     (View Opening Monologue)
73rd Awards (March 25, 2001): Steve Martin     (View Opening Monologue)
72nd Awards (March 26, 2000): Billy Crystal     (View Opening Monologue)
71st Awards (March 21, 1999): Whoopi Goldberg     (View Opening Monologue)
70th Awards (March 23, 1998): Billy Crystal     (View Opening Monologue)
69th Awards (March 24, 1997): Billy Crystal     (View Opening Monologue)
68th Awards (March 25, 1996): Whoopi Goldberg     (View Opening Monologue)
67th Awards (March 27, 1995): David Letterman     (View Opening Monologue)
66th Awards (March 21, 1994): Whoopi Goldberg     (View Opening Monologue)
65th Awards (March 29, 1993): Billy Crystal     (View Opening Monologue)
64th Awards (March 30, 1992): Billy Crystal     (View Opening Monologue)
63rd Awards (March 25, 1991): Billy Crystal     (View Opening Monologue)
62nd Awards (March 26, 1990): Billy Crystal     (View Opening Monologue)
61st Awards (March 29, 1989): NO HOST     (View Opening Number)
60th Awards (April 11, 1988): Chevy Chase     (View Opening)
59th Awards (March 30, 1987): Paul Hogan, Chevy Chase, & Goldie Hawn     (View Opening Monologue)
58th Awards (March 24, 1986): Jane Fonda, Alan Alda, & Robin Williams     (View Opening Monologue)
57th Awards (March 25, 1985): Jack Lemmon     (View Opening)
56th Awards (April 9, 1984): Johnny Carson     (View Opening)
55th Awards (April 11, 1983): Walter Matthau, Liza Minnelli, Dudley Moore, & Richard Pryor     (View Opening)
54th Awards (March 29, 1982): Johnny Carson     (View Opening)
53rd Awards (March 31, 1981): Johnny Carson     (View Opening)
52nd Awards (April 14, 1980): Johnny Carson     (View Opening)
51st Awards (April 9, 1979): Johnny Carson     (View Opening)
50th Awards (March 29, 1978): Bob Hope     (View Opening)
49th Awards (March 29, 1977): Richard Pryor, Jane Fonda, Ellen Burstyn, & Warren Beatty     (View Opening)
48th Awards (March 29, 1976): Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, George Segal, Goldie Hawn, & Gene Kelly     (View Opening)
47th Awards (April 8, 1975): Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Hope, Shirley MacLaine, & Frank Sinatra     (View Opening)
46th Awards (April 2, 1974): John Huston, Diana Ross, Burt Reynolds, & David Niven     (View Opening)
45th Awards (March 27, 1973): Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston, & Rock Hudson     (View Opening)
44th Awards (April 10, 1972): Helen Hayes, Alan King, Sammy Davis Jr., & Jack Lemmon     (View Opening)
43rd Awards (April 15, 1971): The Friends of Oscar (Burt Bacharach, Harry Belafonte, Richard Benjamin, Joan Blondell, Jim Brown, Genevieve Bujold, Glen Campbell, Petula Clark, Angie Dickinson, Melvyn Douglas, Lola Falana, Janet Gaynor, Goldie Hawn, Bob Hope, John Huston, James Earl Jones, Shirley Jones, Sally Kellerman, Burt Lancaster, John Marley, Walter Matthau, Steve McQueen, Sarah Miles, Ricardo Montalban, Jeanne Moreau, Merle Oberon, Ryan O'Neal, Gregory Peck, Paula Prentiss, Eva Marie Saint, George Segal, Maggie Smith, & Gig Young)     (View Opening)
42nd Awards (April 7, 1970): The Friends of Oscar (Claudia Cardinale, Elliott Gould, Myrna Loy, Barbara McNair, Jon Voight, Fred Astaire, Elizabeth Taylor, Ali MacGraw, Cliff Robertson, Katherine Ross, James Earl Jones, Candice Bergen, Raquel Welch, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, & Bob Hope)     (View Opening)
41st Awards (April 14, 1969): The Friends of Oscar (Ingrid Bergman, Sidney Poitier, Jane Fonda, Frank Sinatra, Natalie Wood, Walter Matthau, Diahann Carroll, Tony Curtis, Rosalind Russell, & Burt Lancaster)     (View Opening)
40th Awards (April 10, 1968): Bob Hope     (View Opening)
39th Awards (April 10, 1967): Bob Hope     (View Opening)
38th Awards (April 18, 1966) : Bob Hope     (View Opening)
37th Awards (April 5, 1965): Bob Hope     (View Opening)
36th Awards (April 13, 1964): Jack Lemmon     (View Opening)
35th Awards (April 8, 1963): Frank Sinatra     (View Opening)
34th Awards (April 9, 1962): Bob Hope     (View Opening)
33rd Awards (April 17, 1961) : Bob Hope     (View Opening)
32nd Awards (April 4, 1960): Bob Hope     (View Opening)
31st Awards (April 6, 1959) : Bob Hope, David Niven, Tony Randall, Mort Sahl, Laurence Olivier, & Jerry Lewis     (View Opening)
30th Awards (March 26, 1958): James Stewart, Bob Hope, Rosalind Russell, David Niven, & Jack Lemmon     (View Opening)
29th Awards (March 27, 1957): Jerry Lewis in Hollywood, Celeste Holm in New York     (View Opening)
28th Awards (March 21, 1956): Jerry Lewis in Hollywood, Claudette Colbert & Joseph L. Mankiewicz in New York     (View Opening)
27th Awards (March 30, 1955): Bob Hope in Hollywood, Thelma Ritter in New York     (View Opening)
26th Awards (March 25, 1954): Donald O'Conner in Hollywood, Fredric March in New York     (View Opening)
25th Awards (March 19, 1953): Bob Hope in Hollywood, Conrad Nagel in New York     (View Opening)
24th Awards (March 20, 1952): Danny Kaye     (View Opening)
23rd Awards (March 29, 1951) : Fred Astaire     (View Opening)
22nd Awards (March 23, 1950): Paul Douglas     (View Opening)
21st Awards (March 24, 1949): Robert Montgomery     (View Opening)
20th Awards (March 20, 1948): Dick Powell & Agnes Moorehead     (View Surviving Newsreel Footage)
19th Awards (March 13, 1947): Jack Benny    
18th Awards (March 7, 1946): Bob Hope & James Stewart     (View Film Reel)
17th Awards (March 15, 1945): John Cromwell & Bob Hope     (Listen to Radio Broadcast)
16th Awards (March 2, 1944): Jack Benny     (View Newsreel)
15th Awards (March 4, 1943): Bob Hope    
14th Awards (February 26, 1942): Bob Hope    
13th Awards (February 27, 1941): Walter Wanger     (View Newsreel)
12th Awards (February 29, 1940): Bob Hope     (View Newsreel)
11th Awards (February 23, 1939): Frank Capra     (View Newsreel)
10th Awards (March 10, 1938): Bob "Bazooka" Burns     (View Newsreel)
9th Awards (March 4, 1937): George Jessel    
8th Awards (March 5, 1936) : Frank Capra     (View Newsreel)
7th Awards (February 27, 1935): Irvin S. Cobb     (View Newsreel)
6th Awards (March 16, 1934): Will Rogers    
5th Awards (November 18, 1932): Conrad Nagel    
4th Awards (November 10, 1931) : Lawrence Grant    
3rd Awards (November 5, 1930): Conrad Nagel     (View Newsreel)
2nd Awards (April 30, 1930): William C. DeMille    
1st Awards (May 16, 1929): Douglas Fairbanks, William C. DeMille