Being the anchor of a party lasting more than three hours, with all of Hollywood’s biggest stars in the audience (and competing) is no easy task. In 96 years, some have stood out.

The announcement that Jimmy Kimmel will once again host the ceremony in 2024 led us to ask who else had the same challenge? Who did well? Who was bad? Shall we try to evaluate?

The ones often praised: Billy and Bob

For decades, comedian Bob Hope was considered the best of all time, mixing humor and grace with audiences and actors alike. Billy Crystal, who presented no less than nine Oscars, had him as an insurmountable idol.

The problem is that after Billy, who gave up hosting the Oscars 12 years ago (the last time was in 2012), the task of finding a replacement has proven complex. They have tried young people, older people, trios, duos, solos, men and women, just women, or even no one at all! Nothing worked.

Jimmy Kimmel debuted in 2017, and in this fourth attempt, he may prove to be the best heir to the role. Although irregular, he seems to me to be the closest to the ideal: fun without being rude, a personal friend of the stars, but critical of the industry to have his comments and comments, he doesn’t pose any danger, he has control and he’s friendly.

Therefore, he can join the podium of the best, 2024 can define that.

Broadcast TV created the demand for an anchor, and 71 years later it became a challenge

When the first Oscar ceremony took place, in 1929, there was no TV, so without the demand for images, the party had a different dynamic. As technology advanced, the format adapted. Four years ago the ceremony was via Zoom!

In the first 25 years of the party, the Oscars were an event broadcast live on the radio, and the anchors mixed actors, directors, and the President of the Academy, without shows or long speeches. For example, Frank Capra “self-announced” as the winner when You Can’t Take It With You was named Best Film and Best Director. Nowadays, nominees can never present their own categories.

Bob Hope created “the standard for an emcee” in 1940. After that, he held the position 19 times, alone or not, and EVERYONE copied his style. Could that be the error? Maybe, but no one dares to reinvent the wheel or present another option.

Who were the worst hosts at the Oscars?

If it depends on what we said the day after the Oscars, this list would be the longest of all and certainly few agree on who is mentioned. Likewise, it is a list where no one wants to be at the top (or on it in any way).

Who were the worst Oscar presenters to date? Maybe it’s unfair to try to guess over the 96 years or even the 71 years of the TV party, but are we going to evaluate the five worst of the last 40 years?

1- James Franco and Anne Hathaway, 2012

The ‘young’ duo went wrong straight away, with no chemistry, no rhythm, and purely embarrassing. Franco barely tried to hide his discomfort and embarrassment. Anne seemed like an exceptionally diligent and diligent student. To this day, they top the list of the worst, certainly of all time.

2- David Letterman, 1995

In 1995 the world loved Letterman’s ironic jokes on his Talk Show, he was the main presenter on TV and it was almost obvious that he would be perfect. But it was horrible. His jokes didn’t work, he was nervous and to this day we don’t understand the fun of introducing Uma to Oprah and Oprah to Uma. Serious. A nightmare.

3- Neil Patrick Harris, 2015

The fact that we have already forgotten that Neil Patrick Harris was the anchor 11 years ago says everything about the night. It’s folks, in 2015 he had a thankless mission, like his predecessors and successors… and it’s in no one’s profit to mention him anymore.

4- Chevy Chase, 1988

I don’t find Chevy Chase‘s humor funny and never have. He debuted in 1987, sharing the honors with Goldie Hawn and Paul Hogan, returning alone in 1987 to confirm that although a comedian with a large audience in the USA, he didn’t work at a party like the Oscars. The following year, 1989, the party had no anchor and in 1990 Billy Crystal‘s dominance began.

5- Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes, 2022

At the Slap Oscar, as the year 2022 will always be remembered thanks to Will Smith, the trio of comedians did not work anchoring the party. Crude jokes, lack of chemistry between them, and even the wit to deal with the embarrassment of physical aggression from the actor who won the Oscar for Best Actor, unfortunately, put him on the list, ahead of others who would certainly be here if it weren’t for the sum of problems that came out in their laps. Pity!

Jimmy Kimmel can surpass his predecessors

The record for a presenter who has been on stage the most times is unbeatable with Bob Hope, followed by Billy Crystal and Johnny Carson, but Jimmy Kimmel is already in sixth place, so he can easily surpass Jack Lemmon, quickly surpass Whoopi Goldberg and even Carson! That is if he is the presenter for the next two Oscars, between 2025 and 2027. It is not an impossible goal.

The ranking of just 9 anchors who presented the Oscars more than once:

1- Bob Hope: 19 times (14 solo, 5 with others)
2- Billy Crystal: 9 times (solo)
3- Johnny Carson: 5 times (solo)
4- Whoopi Goldberg: 4 times (solo)
5- Jack Lemmon: 4 times (2 solo, 2 with others)
6- Jimmy Kimmel: 3 times (solo)
7- Steve Martin: 3 times (2 solo, 1 with others)
8- Jerry Lewis: 3 times (2 solo, 1 with others)
9- David Niven: 3 times (all with other people)

The complete list of presenters in 96 years of the Oscars
2023 – 95th Oscars: Jimmy Kimmel
2022 – 94th Oscars: Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes
2021 – 93rd Oscars: without host
2020 – 92nd Oscars: without host
2019 – 91st Oscars: without host
2018 – 90th Oscar: Jimmy Kimmel
2017 – 89th Oscar: Jimmy Kimmel
2016 – 88th Oscar: Chris Rock
2015 – 87th Oscar: Neil Patrick Harris
2014 – 86th Oscars: Ellen DeGeneres
2013 – 85th Academy Awards: Seth MacFarlane
2012 – 84th Oscar: Billy Crystal
2011 – 83rd Oscars: James Franco and Anne Hathaway
2010 – 82nd Oscar: Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin
2009 – 81st Oscar: Hugh Jackman
2008 – 80th Oscar: Jon Stewart
2007 – 79th Oscars: Ellen DeGeneres
2006 – 78th Academy Awards: Jon Stewart
2005 – 77th Academy Awards: Chris Rock
2004 – 76th Academy Awards: Billy Crystal
2003 – 75th Oscar: Steve Martin
2002 – 74th Academy Awards: Whoopi Goldberg
2001 – 73rd Oscar: Steve Martin
2000 – 72nd Oscar: Billy Crystal

1999 – 71st Oscars: Whoopi Goldberg
1998 – 70th Oscar: Billy Crystal
1997 – 69th Oscar: Billy Crystal
1996 – 68th Academy Awards: Whoopi Goldberg
1995 – 67th Oscar: David Letterman
1994 – 66th Academy Awards: Whoopi Goldberg
1993 – 65th Oscar: Billy Crystal
1992 – 64th Oscar: Billy Crystal
1991 – 63rd Oscar: Billy Crystal
1990 – 62nd Oscar: Billy Crystal
1989 – 61st Oscars: without host
1988 – 60th Oscar: Chevy Chase
1987 – 59th Academy Awards: Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn and Paul Hogan
1986 – 58th Oscar: Alan Alda, Jane Fonda and Robin Williams
1985 – 57th Academy Awards: Jack Lemmon, co-hosts: Candice Bergen, Jeff Bridges, Glenn Close, Michael Douglas, Gregory Hines, William Hurt, Amy Irving, Diana Ross, Tom Selleck and Kathleen Turner
1984 – 56th Oscar: Johnny Carson
1983 – 55th Oscar: Walter Matthau, Liza Minnelli, Dudley Moore and Richard Pryor
1982 – 54th Oscar: Johnny Carson
1981 – 53rd Oscar: Johnny Carson
1980 – 52nd Oscar: Johnny Carson

1979 – 51st Oscar: Johnny Carson
1978 – 50th Oscar: Bob Hope
1977 – 49th Academy Awards: Warren Beatty, Ellen Burstyn, Jane Fonda and Richard Pryor
1976 – 48th Oscar: Goldie Hawn, Gene Kelly, Walter Matthau, George Segal and Robert Shaw
1975 – 47th Oscar: Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Hope, Shirley MacLaine and Frank Sinatra
1974 – 46th Oscar: John Huston, David Niven, Burt Reynolds and Diana Ross
1973 – 45th Oscar: Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston and Rock Hudson
1972 – 44th Oscar: Sammy Davis Jr., Helen Hayes, Alan King and Jack Lemmon
1971 – 43rd Oscar: without host
1970 – 42nd Oscar: without host
1969 – 41st Oscar: without host
1968 – 40th Oscar: Bob Hope
1967 – 39th Oscar: Bob Hope
1966 – 38th Oscar: Bob Hope
1965 – 37th Oscar: Bob Hope
1964 – 36th Oscar: Jack Lemmon
1963 – 35th Oscar: Frank Sinatra
1962 – 34th Oscar: Bob Hope
1961 – 33rd Oscar: Bob Hope
1960 – 32nd Oscar: Bob Hope

1959 – 31st Oscar: Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, David Niven, Laurence Olivier, Tony Randall and Mort Sahl
1958 – 30th Oscar: Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon, David Niven, Rosalind Russell, James Stewart and Donald Duck
1957 – 29th Oscar: Jerry Lewis (with Celeste Holm in New York)
1956 – 28th Oscar: Jerry Lewis (with Claudette Colbert and Joseph L. Mankiewicz in New York)
1955 – 27th Oscar: Bob Hope (with Thelma Ritter in New York)
1954 – 26th Oscar: Donald O’Connor (with Fredric March in New York)
1953 – 25th Oscar: Bob Hope (with Conrad Nagel in New York)
1952 – 24th Oscar: Danny Kaye
1951 – 23rd Oscar: Fred Astaire
1950 – 22nd Oscar: Paul Douglas
1949 – 21st Oscar: Robert Montgomery
1948 – 20th Oscar: without host
1947 – 19th Academy Awards: Jack Benny (last half for radio broadcast only)
1946 – 18th Oscar: Bob Hope and James Stewart
1945 – 17th Oscar: John Cromwell and Bob Hope
1944 – 16th Academy Awards: Jack Benny (last half for radio broadcast only)
1943 – 15th Academy Awards: Bob Hope (last half for radio broadcast only)
1942 – 14th Academy Awards: Bob Hope (last half for radio broadcast only)
1941 – 13th Academy Awards: Bob Hope (last half for radio broadcast only)
1940 – 12th Academy Awards: Bob Hope (last half for radio broadcast only)

1939 – 11th Oscar: Frank Capra, president of the Academy
1938 – 10th Oscar: Bob Burns
1937 – 9th Oscar: George Jessel
1936 – 8th Oscar: Frank Capra, president of the Academy
1935 – 7th Oscar: Irvin S. Cobb
1934 – 6th Oscar: Will Rogers
1932 – 5th Oscar: Conrad Nagel, president of the Academy
1931 – 4th Oscar: Lawrence Grant, Governor of the Academy – Actors Branch)
1930 – 3rd Oscar: Conrad Nagel
1930 – 2nd Oscar: William C. deMille, president of the Academy
1929 – 1st Oscar: Douglas Fairbanks, president of the Academy, and William C. de Mille, vice president of the Academy

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