The Emmys Might Not Have a Host, Either

Going host-less might be the new awards-season trend. Months after the 2019 Oscars went without an emcee following a tumultuous search process—and wound up getting mostly positive reviews in the end—it seems the 2019 Emmys might follow suit. According to Variety, insiders say the Television Academy is mulling the option of not having a host for the upcoming awards show, which will air on Fox on September 22. This would be the first time since 2003 that the telecast proceeded without a host.

A decision has not yet been announced by the Television Academy. Reps for the organization have not yet responded to Vanity Fairs request for comment.

Last years Emmys, which aired on NBC, were hosted by Saturday Night Lives Michael Che and Colin Jost. They opened the festivities not with a monologue, but by handing the reins over to SNL costars Kenan Thompson and Kate McKinnon—who sang a musical number about “solving” racism in Hollywood. The show was a big night for SNL in general, with numerous current and former cast members presenting awards throughout the night, as well as writing jokes and bits behind the scenes. Past Emmy hosts have included late-night figures like Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Seth Meyers; Fox may have more difficulty than its fellow networks filling the hosting slot because, unlike ABC, NBC, and CBS, it is not currently home to a similar late-night program.

For the last few years, selected hosts have been announced well before the Emmys ceremony. In their respective years, Colbert was announced in January, Kimmel in March, and Meyers, Jost, and Che in late April. With just three months to go until the next Emmys, it would seem like the Television Academy is cutting it close if the organization does plan to name a host.

Of course, if the Oscars proved anything, its that going host-less in the modern era can work. Despite all the hand-wringing that followed Kevin Harts scandalous departure and subsequent PR drama, Oscar producers managed to keep their prestigious ceremony running smoothly, opening the show with a Queen performance (pegged to the success of Bohemian Rhapsody) and an awards presentation from charismatic trio Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and Maya Rudolph (who are, again, all Saturday Night Live alumni). The rest of the night was filled with memorable, swoon-worthy musical performances (hello, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga) and an array of starry presenters. The show also ended in about three hours—proving that trimming the introductory monologue and whatever other bits the host had planned can be beneficial in the long run.

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