No host for Oscars ... but show will go on
Movie academy vows to keep ceremony to 3 hours
Dresses, speeches, tears. The 2019 Academy Awards ceremony will have all of these, but this year, it won’t have an official host.
The first round of presenters for the 91st Oscars, to be held on Feb. 24, were announced Monday, with no mention of anyone in the role, which has previously been filled by such celebrities as Whoopi Goldberg and Steve Martin. ABC confirmed that there would be no host.
In December, comedian Kevin Hart was named as the ceremony’s host, but stepped down days later amid a controversy regarding past social media comments that were deemed to be homophobic.
Last year’s event was presented by Jimmy Kimmel. ABC’s new entertainment chief, Karey Burke, said the pre-Oscars disarray had an upside: The “lack of clarity” over the ceremony kept the Oscars in the public conversation.
Burke said the ceremony will feature a “phenomenal” lineup of presenters, with the advantage of nominees that are boxoffice hits. That includes bestpicture contenders Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star Is Born. The movie academy has pledged to keep the ceremony to three hours, avoiding the overtime that drains off viewers.
Those who are announced as the winners will have a total of one minute and 30 seconds to rise from their seat, walk to the stage and deliver an acceptance speech.