Jimmy Kimmel, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC, is hosting the 2017 Oscars. After numerous reports said as much, Kimmel confirmed the news on Twitter. “Yes, I am hosting the Oscars. This is not a prank. And if it is, my revenge on @TheAcademy will be terrible & sweet,” he wrote from @jimmykimmel. Oscars.com confirmed the report as well.
The 89th Academy Awards will be held Sunday, Feb. 26, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood.
Chris Rock hosted last year, with 34.3 million people watching, an eight-year low for the telecast.
ABC will televise the Oscars through 2028, when it marks its 100th anniversary.
Kimmel was a capable host of the Emmys in September. It will be his first time hosting the Academy Awards.
Kimmel got his showbiz start in morning radio. He appeared on Win Ben Stein’s Money, The Man Show (which he co-created) and Fox NFL Sunday, among other series, before debuting Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2003.
