American comedian Conan O'Brien will host the 97th edition of the Oscars on March 2, 2025, in Los Angeles, according to the Academy of Hollywood reported on Friday.
O'Brien will replace Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted the ceremony for the last two years, as well as in 2017 and 2018, and declined to do so for the upcoming edition. This will be the first time that the Emmy-winning television host and comedian leads the highest honors of American cinema.
Academy executives praised the choice of O'Brien, considering his brilliant humor, love for movies, and live television experience make him the perfect person to guide the global celebration of cinema. They highlighted his remarkable ability to connect with the audience and noted that he will unite viewers to honor the outstanding films and filmmakers of the year.
Oscar executive producers emphasized that O'Brien possesses all the qualities of a great host for the event, describing him as incredibly witty, charismatic, and entertaining, in addition to being a master of live television.
Known for his late-night talk shows, O'Brien left late-night television in 2021 to focus on a podcast and a travel show. The announcement of his selection as Oscar host was accompanied by a humorous video in which he expressed his excitement: "I've been given an Oscar. This is incredible."
