Awards showhosts have an incredibly difficult job. Sure, mostawards show ceremonieshave a slew of presenters for each individual award, but the host is the glue that holds it all together. They need to be funny, professional, and composed, but not stiff. And it’s hard to turn things around if they don’t get off on the right foot. An opening monologue that falls flat can set the tone for an excruciatingly long and awkward show to come.
Those who tune in from home can list a number of awards show hosts that majorly dropped the ball. These kinds of hosts inspire lots of chatter online for people who want to relive the second-hand-embarrassment multiple times. But it’s also important to recognize the hosts who did a great job. Rolling with unexpected occurrences, keeping the energy up, and not outshining the talent is a delicate dance. Here are 20 of the best awards show hosts ever.
20Ricky Gervais
Golden Globes (2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2020)
Part of the fun of awards show ceremonies is seeing our favorite celebrities get all dolled up and out of whatever attire we’re used to seeing them in on our favorite shows and movies. No more is the divide between stars and us “normies” more apparent than at awards shows. Sometimes celebrities like to pretend this doesn’t exist, and other times they play off of it. The latter is the route actor and comedianRicky Gervaisoften goes down. He has hosted the Golden Globes five times, and is quick to make fun of himself and his fellow A-listers.
A Dose of Reality
Gervais' jokes toe the edge of acceptability/politeness, and the fact that they’re usually directed at people a few feet away is what makes them gold. It’s a toss-up if what’s better is his jokes or the reactions of those in the crowd. Some crack up, while others sport a tight smile and try not to look upset. Gervais says what many people wish they could tell the members of a particularly out-of-touch industry. During the 2020 ceremony, even he broke character, getting out some of his more risqué lines. But the public was sure glad he did.
19Kevin Hart
BET Awards (2011), MTV Video Music Awards (2012), MTV Movie Awards (2016)
It’d seem that anexperienced stand-up comedianwould soar as an awards show host. Of course, time and again, plenty of comedians have proved that not to be the case.Kevin Hartis one of the few that has gotten it right. He started his hosting career with the BET Awards back in 2011 and has since done MTV Video Music Awards twice. He was set to host the Oscars in 2019, but had to step down after controversy surrounding homophobic tweets from years prior. Despite this incident, many believe Hart could’ve done well as the host due to his previous hosting gigs.
Short-Lived Hosting Career?
The reason Hart makes a great show host is similar to what’s made him a great leading comedic actor. He’s proved he can work well alongside others and with all the pressure on his shoulders. When he hosted the VMAs with his buddy Dwayne Johnson, the two bounced off each other and played off each other’s strengths. Yet even on his own, he is charismatic, full of energy, and willing to make fun of himself. Not knowing what his future in hosting holds, it’s nice to take time to appreciate his past performances.
18Anne Hathaway
Academy Awards (2011)
Anne Hathawayhas been in the business for a long time, but she was still an Academy Awards newbie when she was set to host the 83rd ceremony back in 2011. Up until that point, she’d been nominated just once for Best Actress for her work in a drama calledRachel Getting Married. Hathaway is typically included in the discourse of the worst award show hosts. However, that title isn’t exactly fair. Most people recognize that between her and co-host James Franco, he was the one who missed the mark. Hathaway did her best to save the lackluster performance of Franco and handled it with great poise.
Room to Grow
Sure, she wasn’t spectacular in her own right, but she did her best with what she was given. Despite this blip, Hathaway has already demonstrated qualities that not all hosts possess. Oftentimes, when the public expresses opinions about a host doing a bad job, said host digs their heels in even more. They’ll claim the audience is “too sensitive” or “people can’t tell jokes anymore” or some variation of that. Instead, Hathaway has taken aboard the critiques and can even laugh at them. OnWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Hathaway succinctly admitted, “We sucked.”
17Martin Short
Canadian Screen Awards (2013)
Martin Shortis an adored actor and Broadway star currently starring in the hit Hulu comedy mysteryOnly Murders in the Building. His character on the show, Oliver Putnam, is flamboyant and quirky, with a flair for the dramatic. Perhaps he didn’t have to tap into a different persona to achieve the character’s personality, as evidenced by his stand-up career and the various hosting gigs he’s done.
Comfortable on Stage
An often-forgotten part of his career was as the host of his own talk show, simply titledThe Martin Short Show, which aired for just one year. In 2013, the Ontario-born star had the privilege of hosting the first-ever Canadian Screen Awards. As a new event, it didn’t have as many eyes on it as some of the others. Which was a shame, because Short knocked his hosting duties out of the park. Some of the bits were admittedly a little corny, but in a way only Short could pull off. With his signature theatrical way of speaking, it was a treat to watch him emcee the event.
16Queen Latifah
American Music Awards (1995), Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards (1996), Independent Spirit Awards (1999), Vibe Awards (2003), Grammy Awards (2005), People’s Choice Awards (2007-2011), BET Awards (2010), Hollywood Film Awards (2014), NAACP Image Awards (2023)
Queen Latifahis a singer andrapper turned actress, who started creating her legacy in the late-80s. Even outside of her songs or acting roles, Latifah is no stranger to entertaining people through words. She had her very own daytime talk show,The Queen Latifah Show, which ran from 1999-2001 and then later from 2013-2015. Her time as the face of this program proved she was capable of excelling at a hosting gig. And she has on multiple occasions. BET Awards. People’s Choice Awards. American Music Awards. Soul Train Lady Awards. Grammy Awards. Most recently, in 2023, she even hosted the NAACP Image Awards.
Smooth Talker
In each of these roles, she blends her musical talent and comedic timing she honed on shows likeLiving Single. From each hosting stint, Latifah proves she still has the coolness that she was known for in the early days of her fame. She comes across as down to earth and real, which is always appreciated in the ultra-polished world of celebrity.
Even when she’s not the main host, she captures attention. During the 56th Grammy Awards in 2014, Latifah officiated over thirty weddings, many of which were same-sex couples to show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. Whether it’s an awards ceremony for music, acting, or anything else, Latifah can surely handle the challenge.
Related:Best Queen Latifah Movies, Ranked
15Hugh Jackman
Academy Awards (2009)
Nowadays, much of the public understands the wide rangeHugh Jackmanhas. His breakout role was as Wolverine in theX-Men series, but the actor expanded into voice work and musicals. Die-hard supporters may ask: is there anything he can’t do? Hosting a prestigious award show may have been a question mark before he took it on in 2009 at the Academy Awards. One thing that can be a nail in the coffin of a hosting performance is taking oneself too seriously. It’s understandable, as respected actors are staring at them from the front rows, and millions online waiting for any slip-up to turn into a trending hashtag.
Work with What You’ve Got
If Jackman felt any nerves, he shook them off within the first few minutes by opening up with a musical number. It gave everyone a glimpse of the show-stopping numbers he’d later do in films likeThe Greatest Showman. During the performance, he even poked fun at the Oscars’ nomination preferences, singing, “How come comic book movies never get nominated?”
This opening worked not just because it was hilarious (especially when he brought Anne Hathaway onstage), but because it played to his strengths. Instead of trudging through stiff jokes in a pseudostand-up comedy specialbit, he brought out his love for theater and it paid off.
14Jane Lynch
Emmy Awards (2011)
Jane Lynchbrought out herGleesinging (or lip-syncing) skills when she opened up the Emmys in 2011. After a hilarious skit that poked fun at the public perception of her, she slipped into an opening number where she masterfully regained control over a near-stumble and joined forces with the cast ofThe Big Bang Theory. Granted, the Emmys are known for going with their opening sequences, but Lynch’s remains one of the best.
Why She Was Great
She was only the third woman to host the awards show without a co-host, according toUsWeekly. Lynch has been in the business for decades, and she’s best known for comedies. Over her career, she’s been nominated for 13 Emmy Awards, winning five of them. All that experience was evident during her hosting gig. She even took a playful shot at another entrant on this list, Ricky Gervais. Her presence reminded us why, even when she’s playing an antagonist, she’s so fun to watch.
13Neil Patrick Harris
TV Land Awards (2009), Tony Awards (2009, 2011-2013), Emmy Awards (2009, 2013), Spike Video Game Awards (2010), Academy Awards (2015)
Neil Patrick Harrishas received several award nominations and wins from the Emmys, Tonys, and SAG Awards, among others. For an actor as experienced as him, that isn’t too much of a shock. However, he also received awards not due to the films or television programs he’s been in, but because of his exemplary hosting skills. Harris has hosted the Tony Awards four times, the Emmys twice, and the Oscars once. While it’s nice for these programs to switch things up now and then, when they find something that’s working, why change it?
Truly a Master of Ceremonies
His performances are the definition of not taking yourself too seriously. He serenades the audience with a ballad while playing guitar, jumps through a hula-hoop, almost gets headbutted by Mike Tyson, performs a vanishing act, raps about actors, and does high kicks in a precision dance line. And that’s all just during one opening act for the 2013 Tony Awards.
The portions when he’s on-screen are often the most entertaining moments of the show, and that feeling is reflected in the faces of the stars who’ve attended their fair share of these events. Each year, it was a question of whether he’d be able to top himself, and thus far he’s managed to do it.
12Jimmy Fallon
MTV Movie Awards (2001, 2005), MTV Video Music Awards (2002), Emmy Awards (2010), Golden Globes (2017)
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonis one of the mostpopular late-night talk showsin the United States.Jimmy Fallonencourages his celebrity interviewees to divulge embarrassing or wild personal stories through a deluge of laughter. Or he participates in a multitude of viral games such as Catchphrase, Wheel of Musical Impressions, and Box of Lies. Even before the hit 2014 came to be, he had practice honing the art of conversation with various hosting gigs.
Classic Fallon
In the early-2000s, he co-hosted the VMAs twice. It was refreshing to see a younger Fallon as he grew into his craft and became comfortable with the spotlight. Later in 2010, he was back to emceeing, this time for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. His cheap shot at fellow talk host Conan O’Brien while strumming a guitar is one of many memorable moments from that night. Fallon was certainly a lot more put together than his VMA hosting job, but he still delivered the characteristic Fallon humor many have grown to love or love to hate.
Related:The Best Late-Night Talk Show Hosts in History
11Whoopi Goldberg
Grammy Awards (1992), Academy Awards (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002), Tony Awards (2008)
If there’s one person the Academy trusts to host their show, it’sWhoopi Goldberg.The Viewco-host has hosted the Oscars four times, starting in 1994. She made history as the first solo woman as well as the first Black woman to host the show. Even during her first time hosting, the actress didn’t seem nervous or like she was letting the pressure get to her. A couple of years prior, she hosted the Grammy Awards, so she already had practice leading big-time events.
A Solid Choice
Goldberg brought a great deal of poise to each show. Nowadays, she’s famous for giving her hot takes alongside her co-hosts onThe View, and it seems that comes naturally to her. While hosting, she’d not hesitate to bring up political issues, whether explicitly or in subtle ways. Don’t let that convince youher iconic monologuesare heavy downers. She knows how to balance self-deprecation and making fun of the stars. Recipients of said jokes are often the ones laughing the hardest, so Goldberg knows how far to push it.
