Our long awards season nightmare may be over. During an executive session panel for the Television Critics Association Winter Tour, Craig Erwich, President of ABC and Hulu Originals, provided an update regarding the 94th Academy Awards and a big one. For the first time since 2018, the Oscars will have a host.
READ MORE: Will Packer to produce the 94th Academy Awards
The Playlist asked Erwich for any other details such as a timeline or if there could be multiple hosts and the Disney executive essentially passed on providing any other information.
This year’s telecast will be produced by Will Packer and directed for the 7th year in a row by Emmy-winner Glenn Weiss. The ceremony is coming off historically low ratings with just 10.4 million viewers from a pandemic delayed ceremony last April. That telecast took place with a small in-person audience at Los Angeles’ Union Station. This year’s broadcast is expected to return to the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.
The 89th and 90th Oscars were hosted by one of the faces of the network, Jimmy Kimmel. Erwich did not confirm that Kimmel is not being considered again, but he has not been rumored as a potential host. Fans have been clamoring for “Spider-Man: No Way Home” star Tom Holland to host (or co-host with Zendaya). It’s unclear who is on the shortlist, but Packer has longstanding relationships with Tiffany Haddish, Ice Cube, Taraji P. Henson, and Kevin Hart, who almost hosted the show in 2019.
Packer and The Academy have at least another few weeks to make their decision. Voting for this year’s Oscar nominees does not begin until Jan. 27.
The 94th Academy Awards will be handed out on March 27 on ABC.