Jimmy Kimmel is returning to host the Academy Awards next year. This will be his fourth time hosting the Oscars ceremony. The Hollywood Reporter has the news that Kimmel has signed on to host the 96th edition of the Academy Awards, which will air March 10, 2024. Kimmel is an awards-show veteran; in addition to hosting the 95th Oscars earlier this year, he also hosted in 2017 and 2018, and has also hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards three times, most recently in 2020.
Kimmel’s hosting gig last year was smooth and largely controversy-free; also, nobody got slapped on live television this time. In addition to Kimmel’s awards-show resume, the move also makes sense from a corporate synergy perspective, as well; ABC will air the Oscars, and also airs Kimmel’s long-running late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live. It was renewed last year through its 23rd season, which will make Kimmel one of the longest-tenured talk show hosts in US history.
Who is Jimmy Kimmel?
Jimmy Kimmel grew up idolizing David Letterman, and got his start as a radio host, much like Letterman. His first venture on TV was co-hosting the Comedy Central game show Win Ben Stein’s Money, and later moved on to The Man Show, which he co-hosted with Adam Carolla. In 2003, he began hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live, ABC’s late-night flagship talk show, which continues to this day, although Kimmel had reportedly considered retiring earlier this year. During the recently-concluded WGA strike, Kimmel’s show went off the air, but he joined forces with his fellow late-night talk show hosts to co-host the Strike Force Five podcast, which raised money to support their striking writers. Kimmel is also a noted advocate for health care reform, opposing the insurance industry’s long-standing policy of denying coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions.
The 96th Academy Awards will air on ABC March 10, 2024. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates, and watch Kimmel’s 2023 Oscars monologue below.