Kevin Hart confirmed to host the 91st Academy Awards

December 5th 2018, 8:55am

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Hosting the Oscars is a storied gig and one that any entertainer would be very, very lucky to land. This year comedian Kevin Hart is that very lucky man, as he and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences confirmed he will host the 91^stAcademy Awards in 2019. In securing the gig Hart joins a very exclusive club, becoming only the fourth African American to host the ceremony after Richard Pryor (1977, 1983), Whoopi Goldberg (1993, 1995, 1998, 2001) and Chris Rock (2005, 2016).

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A first time Oscar host he will be joining first time Oscar producers Donna Gigliotti and Glenn Weiss, and all three of them have difficult tasks ahead of them. The Oscar viewership has been dipping over the years, and last year – hosted by Jimmy Kimmel for the second time in a row – saw the show go to a record low of 26.5 million viewers. In an attempt to shake things up, the producers have assured the broadcast won’t go over three hours, with several categories being presented during commercial breaks and with excerpts of winning speeches shown when the show comes back. Thank our lucky stars, the Best Popular Movie award remains shelved (for now).

Hart took to Instagram to confirm his hosting gig with a lengthy post after news around a discussion between him and the Academy surfaced earlier yesterday. You can read it in its entirety below, free of any play-off music.

View this post on Instagram

For years I have been asked if I would ever Host the Oscars and my answer was always the same…I said that it would be the opportunity of a lifetime for me as a comedian and that it will happen when it’s suppose to. I am so happy to say that the day has finally come for me to host the Oscars. I am blown away simply because this has been a goal on my list for a long time….To be able to join the legendary list of host that have graced that stage is unbelievable. I know my mom is smiling from ear to ear right now. I want to thank my family/friends/fans for supporting me & riding with me all this time….I will be sure to make this years Oscars a special one. I appreciate the @TheAcademy for the opportunity ….now it’s time to rise to the occasion #Oscars

A post shared by Kevin Hart (@kevinhart4real) on Dec 4, 2018 at 5:01pm PST

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Hart is a wise choice to host the ceremony. The actor is coming off big-screen hits like CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE and JUMANJI (both alongside Dwayne Johnson), with this year's NIGHT SCHOOL with Tiffany Haddish also earning solid numbers. On top of that, the comedian often sells out stadiums like Madison Square Garden for his comedy acts, as seen in his theatrically-released stand-up specials, which also do quite well. He already hosted the MTV Movie Awards (also alongside Johnson), and though that’s hardly the biggest stage in entertainment, it’s one more check off the box that proves he’s ready for the biggest of gigs.

The 91st Oscars will be broadcast live on ABC February 24, 2019.

Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, Kevin Hart