Throughout the decades, the Academy Awards has relied on iconic figures from the world of entertainment to grace its stage. These hosts, from actors to comedy greats, become the face of Hollywood’s biggest night, whether solo, paired, or part of a team.
The first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929 began as a private dinner hosted by Douglas Fairbanks and director William C. DeMille and had no formal host. However, as the awards gained popularity, the master of ceremonies would become defined by comedian Bob Hope, whose sharp wit and charisma set the standard for future hosts. Hope would host a record 19 ceremonies (14 solo, 5 with others), starting in 1940.
Others followed, including Billy Crystal, who hosted an impressive 9 times solo. Johnny Carson came next with 5 solo appearances, followed by Whoopi Goldberg, who hosted 4 times solo. Jack Lemmon also hosted 4 times, twice solo and twice as a co-host. Jimmy Kimmel brought his charm to the Oscars 3 times solo, while Steve Martin hosted 3 times, including 2 solo appearances and 1 as part of a duo.
Revisit the legendary hosts of the Academy Awards, including notable mentions like Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, Sammy Davis Jr., Shirley MacLaine, Frank Sinatra, and many more.
2024 – Conan O’Brien
96th Academy Awards Host, Conan O’Brien
2023 – Jimmy Kimmel
95th Academy Awards Host, Jimmy Kimmel
2022 – Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes
94th Academy Awards Hosts, Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes
2018 – Jimmy Kimmel
90th Academy Awards Host, Jimmy Kimmel
2017 – Jimmy Kimmel
89th Academy Awards Host, Jimmy Kimmel
2016 – Chris Rock
88th Academy Awards Host, Chris Rock
2015 – 87th Oscars: Neil Patrick Harris
87th Academy Awards Host, Neil Patrick Harris
2014 – Ellen DeGeneres
86th Academy Awards Host, Ellen DeGeneres gathers actors from the audience for a selfie
2013 – Seth MacFarlane
85th Academy Awards Host, Seth MacFarlane
2012 – Billy Crystal
84th Academy Awards Host, Billy Crystal
2011 – James Franco and Anne Hathaway
83rd Academy Awards Hosts, James Franco and Anne Hathaway
2010 – Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin
82nd Academy Awards Hosts, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin
2009 – Hugh Jackman
81st Academy Awards Host, Hugh Jackman (R) and Singer Beyonce Knowles, Amanda Seyfried and Zac Efron perform on stage
2008 – Jon Stewart
80th Academy Awards Host, Jon Stewart
2007 – Ellen DeGeneres
79th Academy Awards Host, Ellen DeGeneres
2006 – Jon Stewart
78th Academy Awards Host, Jon Stewart
2005 – Chris Rock
77th Academy Awards Host, Chris Rock
2004 – Billy Crystal
76th Academy Awards Host, Billy Crystal
2003 – Steve Martin
75th Academy Awards Host, Steve Martin
2002 – Whoopi Goldberg
74th Academy Awards Host, Whoopi Goldberg
2001 – Steve Martin
73rd Academy Awards Host, Steve Martin
2000 – Billy Crystal
72nd Academy Awards Host, Billy Crystal
1999 – Whoopi Goldberg
71st Academy Awards Host, Whoopi Goldberg, dressed as Queen Elizabeth I of England, opens the Academy Awards
1998 – Billy Crystal
70th Academy Awards Host, Billy Crystal
1997 – Billy Crystal
69th Academy Awards Host, Billy Crystal
1996 – Whoopi Goldberg
68th Academy Awards Host, Whoopi Goldberg
1995 – David Letterman
67th Academy Awards Host, David Letterman
1994 – Whoopi Goldberg
66th Academy Awards Host, Whoopi Goldberg
1993 – Billy Crystal
65th Academy Awards Host, Billy Crystal
1992 – Billy Crystal
64th Academy Awards Host, Billy Crystal dons a Hannibal the Cannibal mask, left, in the audience with Anthony Hopkins
1991 – Billy Crystal
61st Academy Awards Host, Billy Crystal
1990 – Billy Crystal
60th Academy Awards Host, Billy Crystal
1988 – Chevy Chase
60th Academy Awards host Chevy Chase pulls up his pants at the 60th annual Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles after mock “mooning” the crowd. Chase kicked off the night by insulting the crowd: “Good evening, Hollywood phonies”
1987 – Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, and Paul Hogan
59th Academy Awards Hosts, Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, and Paul Hogan
1986 – Alan Alda, Jane Fonda, and Robin Williams
58th Academy Awards Hosts, Alan Alda, Jane Fonda, and Robin Williams
1985 – 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
57th Academy Awards Hosts, L-R: Tom Selleck, Amy Irving, Gregory Hines, Glenn Close, Candice Bergen, Jack Lemmon, Jeff Bridges, Michael Douglas, William Hurt, Diana Ross And Kathleen Turner
1984 – Johnny Carson
56th Academy Awards Host, Johnny Carson
1983 – Walter Matthau, Liza Minnelli, Dudley Moore, and Richard Pryor
55th Academy Awards Hosts, Walter Matthau, Liza Minnelli, Dudley Moore, and Richard Pryor
1982 – Johnny Carson
54th Academy Awards Host, Johnny Carson
1981 – Johnny Carson
53rd Academy Awards Host, Johnny Carson
1980 – Johnny Carson
52nd Academy Awards Host, Johnny Carson
1979 – Johnny Carson
51st Academy Awards Host, Johnny Carson
1978 – Bob Hope
50th Academy Awards Host, Bob Hope
1977 – Warren Beatty, Ellen Burstyn, Jane Fonda, and Richard Pryor
s, Warren Beatty, Ellen Burstyn, Jane Fonda, and Richard Pryor
1976 – Goldie Hawn, Gene Kelly, Walter Matthau, George Segal, and Robert Shaw
47th Academy Awards Hosts, Goldie Hawn, George Segal, Gene Kelly and Walter Matthau
1975 – Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Hope, Shirley MacLaine, and Frank Sinatra
47th Academy Awards Hosts, Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Hope, Shirley MacLaine, and Frank Sinatra
1974 – 4John Huston, David Niven, Burt Reynolds, and Diana Ross
46th Academy Awards Hosts, John Huston, David Niven, Burt Reynolds, and Diana Ross
1973 – 45th Oscars: Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston, and Rock Hudson
45th Academy Awards Hosts, Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston, and Rock Hudson
1972 – Sammy Davis Jr., Helen Hayes, Alan King, and Jack Lemmon
44th Academy Awards Hosts, Sammy Davis Jr., Helen Hayes, Alan King, and Jack Lemmon
1965, 1966, 1967 & 1968 – Bob Hope
Bob Hope, hosted the the 37th, 38th, 39th and 40th Academy Awards presentation
1964 – Jack Lemmon
36th Academy Awards Host, Jack Lemmon
1963 – Frank Sinatra
35th Academy Awards Host, Frank Sinatra
1962 – Bob Hope
Host Bob Hope looks on, backstage at the Academy Awards, Santa Monica, California, April 9, 1962. Maximilian Schell won Best Actor for his role in director Stanley Kramer’s film, Judgment at Nuremberg, and Greer Garson accepted the Best Actress Oscar for Sophia Loren
1961 – Bob Hope
Master of Ceremonies Bob Hope, center, poses with four Oscar winners after the Academy Awards ceremony in Santa Monica, Calif. on April 18, 1961. Photographed with Hope are, from left to right, British actor Peter Ustinov, best supporting actor for his role in Spartacus; Shirley Jones, best supporting actress for her role in Elmer Gantry; Elizabeth Taylor, best actress for her role in Butterfield 8; and Burt Lancaster, best actor for his role in Elmer Gantry
1960 – Bob Hope
32th Academy Awards Host, Bob Hope
1959 – Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, David Niven, Laurence Olivier, Tony Randall, and Mort Sahl
31st Annual Academy Awards, more than 90 performers gather for the grand finale, on the stage of The Pantages Theatre
1958 – Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon, David Niven, Rosalind Russell, James Stewart, and Donald Duck
L-R: Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon, David Niven, Rosalind Russell, James Stewart
1957 – Jerry Lewis (with Celeste Holm in New York)
Jerry Lewis and Celeste Holm
1956 – Jerry Lewis (with Claudette Colbert and Joseph L. Mankiewicz in New York)
Actress Claudette Colbert kisses writer Paddy Chayefsky at the Century Theater in New York after presenting him with his Oscar which was awarded to him for his script on the film Marty, during ceremonies of the 28th annual Academy Awards Presentations made in Hollywood and New York
1956 – Jerry Lewis (with Claudette Colbert and Joseph L. Mankiewicz in New York)
Host Jerry Lewis on stage at the Academy Awards at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles
1955 – Bob Hope (with Thelma Ritter in New York)
Best Actor Winner for On the Waterfront, Marlon Brando, and host, Bob Hope, during the 27th Annual Academy Awards at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles
1954 – Donald O’Connor (with Fredric March in New York)
Host and actor Fredric March, Best Actress winner Audrey Hepburn for Roman Holiday, and actor Jean Hersholt during the 26th Annual Academy Awards on March 25, 1954 held at the NBC Century Theatre in New York City
1954 – Donald O’Connor (with Fredric March in New York)
Host of the Academy Awards Donald O’Connor poses with winner Donna Reed for Actress in a Supporting Role
1953 – Bob Hope (with Conrad Nagel in New York)
Conrad Nagel at the 25th Annual Academy Awards New York ceremony held at the NBC International Theatre in New York City
1953 – Bob Hope (with Conrad Nagel in New York)
Filmmaker Cecil B DeMille holding his Best Picture Oscar for the film The Greatest Show on Earth, with a group of people including entertainer Bob Hope in the center
1952 – Danny Kaye
Left to right: actors Humphrey Bogart and Master of Ceremonies Danny Kaye, producer Arthur Freed, and director George Stevens pose with their Oscar trophies at the Academy Awards, Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
1951 – Fred Astaire
Left to right: Fred Astaire, Master of Ceremonies, Joe Makiewicz, who was a two-time winner for director and writer for All About Eve, Dr. Ralph Bunche, Darryl Zanuck, and President of the academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Charles Brackett
1950 – Paul Douglas
From left, Oscar winners Mercedes McCambridge and director Robert Rossen forAll The King’s Men, Dean Jagger for Twelve O’Clock, and Paul Douglas
1949 – Robert Montgomery
Actress Deborah Kerr, receives from Robert Montgomery the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award for the best original motion picture story of the year. Miss Kerr accepted on behalf of Clemence Dane, whose Vacation From Marriage won the award
1947 – Jack Benny
American comedian Jack Benny
1946 – Bob Hope and James Stewart
Bob Hope and James Stewart
1945 – John Cromwell and Bob Hope
Bob Hope and Charles Coburn presenting Oscar for Best Actor to Barry Fitzgerald for Going My Way
1944 – Jack Benny
Paul Lukas (center) with his Best Actor Academy Award for Watch Watch on the Rhine flanked by George Murphy (left) and Jack Benny
1942 & 1943 – Bob Hope
Bob Hope (L) is pictured at the CBS Radio broadcast and coverage of the 14th Academy Awards (the Oscars). Honoring movies released the previous year, 1941
1941 – Bob Hope
The 13th Annual Awards Dinner of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the Biltmore Hotel. (Left to right) James Stewart, Ginger Rogers, and comedian Bob Hope after winning their movie awards
1940 – Bob Hope
Bob Hope
1938 & 1939 – Bob Burns
Bob Burns hands Edgar Bergen a special Oscar for the creation of Charley McCarthy, while Frank Capra looks on
1937 – George Jessel
Frank Capra who won the Best Director Award for Mr Deeds Goes to Town, Luise Rainer with her Best Actress Award for The Great Ziegfeld, host George Jessel at the Academy Awards ceremonies, 1937
1936 – Frank Capra, Academy President
Movie Director Frank Capra
1935 – Irvin S. Cobb
Irvin Cobb presents the statuette to Frank Capra, on behalf of the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, for Best Direction for his work on It Happened One Night during the 1934 Academy Awards Ceremony
1934 – Will Rogers
L-R: American sound engineer Franklin Hansen, actor and writer Will Rogers and Scottish-born director Frank Lloyd stand at the podium at the Academy Awards ceremony, Los Angeles, California
1932 – Conrad Nagel, Academy President
L-R: Wallace Beery, runner-up as the best actor, Lionell Barrymore winner of the best actor award last year, Conrad Nagel, President of the Academy and Frederic March, year’s best actor
1931 – Lawrence Grant, Academy Governor – Actors Branch
Lawrence Grant, the British character actor who mainly appeared in American films
1930 – Conrad Nagel
Norma Shearer receives a Best Actress Oscar from Conrad Nagel, for her role in The Divorcee. The two co-starred as lovers in the film, which was directed by Robert Z Leonard
1930 – William C. deMille, Academy President
William C. Demille, President Of The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences (Centre) Hands The Oscar For Best Actress To Mary Pickford For Her Role In My Best Girl And Best Actor To Warner Baxter For Old Arizona (Right). The Author Hans Kraly (Left) Received The Award For Best Screenplay For The Patriot
1929 – Douglas Fairbanks, Academy President, and William C. de Mille, Academy Vice President
Douglas Fairbanks presents Janet Gaynor with the first Academy Award for Best Actress, for her work in Seventh Heaven, as well as Street Angel, and Sunrise, at the first Academy Awards in 1929