Conan O'Brien to host Oscars for the first time in his career

The comedian and TV personality will emcee the 97th Academy Awards telecast on ABC.

Late-night icon Conan O'Brien is set to host the Oscars for the first time in his comedy career.

The Academy announced Friday morning that the 61-year-old former Late Night and Conan talk show host will emcee the 97th Academy Awards broadcast on ABC, taking the reins from fellow comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted consecutively in 2023 and 2024.

"America demanded it and now it's happening: Taco Bell's new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme," O'Brien joked in a press statement. "In other news, I'm hosting the Oscars."

Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang added in a joint statement that O'Brien is "the perfect person to help lead our global celebration of film with his brilliant humor, his love of movies, and his live TV expertise," while also praising "his remarkable ability to connect with audiences" through his comedy.

O'Brien has hosted other major events in the past, including the Emmys in 2002 and 2006, as well as the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 1995 and 2013.

Related: 2025 Oscar nominations predictions: See contenders for Best Picture and acting, from Angelina Jolie to Colman Domingo

Prior to Friday's announcement, Entertainment Weekly confirmed in July that both Kimmel and comedian John Mulaney turned down offers to host the ceremony, with Kimmel later explaining on the Politickin' podcast that he didn't want preparation for the gig to impact his nightly episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live for another year.

"It's hard and it's a lot of work and the show suffers a little bit to be honest," he said. "When I'm focused on the Oscars, I'm less focused on the show. And I just decided I didn't want to deal with that this year. It was just too much last year."

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Many potential contenders have already risen through the ranks in the current Oscars race, with acting contenders ranging from Mikey Madison (Anora), Angelina Jolie (Maria), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing), and Ariana Grande (Wicked) to overall Best Picture contenders such as the aforementioned Anora, Dune: Part Two, The Brutalist, Conclave, Emilia Pérez, and more.

The 2025 Oscars will air Sunday, March 2, on ABC at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the official red carpet presentation beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.