Your 97th Oscars Host Is a First-Timer

The host of the 2025 Academy Awards will be newbie on the Oscars stage. But he's "a beloved comedian with decades of experience in everything from comedic opening monologues to silly skits and energetic musical numbers," per Vanity Fair. His name: Conan O'Brien. The former late-night talk show host and star of Conan O'Brien Must Go nabs the gig from Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted the last two years. "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," Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang say in a statement.

"America demanded it and now it's happening: Taco Bell's new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I'm hosting the Oscars," says O'Brien, a two-time Emmys host who's also entertained audiences in emceeing the MTV Movie Awards and White House Correspondents' Association dinner. "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," say the award show's executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan, per Variety. The 97th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC on March 2. (More Academy Awards stories.)