Why Is There No Oscars Host In 2020?

(Image credit: Rodin Eckenroth / Getty Images)

published 9 February 2020

Last year's Oscars ceremony went ahead without a host, thanks to a ton of pre-show drama surrounding Kevin Hart that culminated in a quick decision. The run-up to this year's award ceremony has been less dramatic (although many people are upset that women directors were shut out of the Best Director category), but the decision has been made to continue the tradition from last year. However, there have been modifications made to last year's hastily developed plan—and it should make for an intriguing 2020 ceremony. Here's what we know at this point.

There will be no "traditional" host at the 2020 Oscars.

In January, ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke made it official: "Let me confirm it now, together with the Academy, that there will be no traditional host this year." She went on to say that she thought the host-less 2019 Oscars was a success, hence the continuation of the tradition. There will be no opening monologue (last year there was a movie montage instead) and actors will introduce the awards and segments.

In the final ABC release about the Oscars presenters on February 5, the list of presenting celebrities is enormous. Just take a look: Jane Fonda, Josh Gad, Tom Hanks, Oscar Isaac, Sandra Oh, Natalie Portman, Chris Rock, Taika Waititi, Mahershala Ali, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Zazie Beetz, Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Colman, James Corden, Penélope Cruz, Beanie Feldstein, Will Ferrell, Gal Gadot, Zack Gottsagen, Salma Hayek, Mindy Kaling, Diane Keaton, Regina King, Shia LaBeouf, Brie Larson, Spike Lee, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, George MacKay, Rami Malek, Steve Martin, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anthony Ramos, Keanu Reeves, Ray Romano, Maya Rudolph, Mark Ruffalo, Kelly Marie Tran, Sigourney Weaver, Kristen Wiig and Rebel Wilson. Oh and that's not even including performers including Janelle Monae and Billie Eilish.

A post shared by The Academy (@theacademy)
A photo posted by on

Wow.

The 2019 Oscars followed the same format.

In 2019, the final decision not to have a host was much more dramatic: Kevin Hart was selected, then promptly resigned after tweets resurfaced of derogatory jokes he'd made. The Academy had to scramble, and ultimately decided to go host-less for the first time in 30 years.

Reviews of that show were mixed. Some referenced the fact that a host usually disappears after the opening monologue and noted that this wasn't much different. Others, including USA Today's Kelly Lawler, lamented: "After the Poehler/Fey/Rudolph trio was done, there were few presenters with comedy skills; the awards were more like a press conference with movie clips in the middle." TBD on whether this year will feel different, but the absolute parade of A-listers crossing the stage will probably help.

For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

SUBSCRIBE HERE

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.