Who's Hosting The Oscars In 2025? Here Are 12 Funny Hosts Who Could Fill The Gig

Courtesy of CBS.

The Oscars Host search for the 97th Annual Academy Awards is currently underway and soon we’ll find out who’s gonna be receiving the hosting baton from last year’s four-time host: Jimmy Kimmel.

On top of the big wins, presenters, performances & tributes that happen at each of the big award shows, what makes these award shows memorable & fun is the night’s host. And one of the big qualities that comes from a great host (on top of enduring serious pressure to perform well in front of your friends) is someone (or a group of people) who aren’t afraid to laugh at themselves and bring some laughs comedy to an entertaining show while celebrating excellence throughout last year’s contributions in film & television industry.

With both Kimmel & John Mulaney reportedly out of the race & declined to host next year's Oscars, The Academy needs to find someone soon ahead of its ceremony on March 2nd, 2025 on ABC. But thankfully, there are tons of great & funny candidates to choose from who can step up to the plate next year (and we’ve gathered 12 of them here below for a closer look).

Based on past experience hosting, connections to the ABC/Disney umbrella & overall comedic talent, 800 Pound Gorilla News has broken down a list of 12 funny comedians & pair ups who could rise to the occasion to host the critically acclaimed awards show.

Earlier this year, beloved Saturday Night Live alums & frequent comedic collaborators Will Ferrell & Kristen Wiig presented at the Golden Globes earlier this year, which made for one of the most stand-out & truly comedy gold moments of the whole show. In this bit when they're trying to have their serious awards presenting moment, they of course get interrupted by some terribly awkward lobby or elevator music. And like the funny people they are, they absolutely lean into the awkwardness hilariously & do it ever so charmingly.

These two are seasoned improv experts dating all the way back to when they each started at The Groundlings in Los Angeles before breaking out on SNL. With the way they're able to carry the room in this short segment, who knows what they can do together when given the opportunity to co-host the Oscars stage.

Everyone favorite true crime podcast hosts, murder mystery detectives, & Only Murders In The Building stars Steve Martin, Martin Short & Selena Gomez have proven over the hit show's past four seasons (soon to be five) how great of a dynamic this trio holds. Together, they presented at the most recent Emmy Awards where here, they're seen playfully roasting each other & easily making the room laugh. Being a great entertainer & someone who can poke fun at themselves for some deprecating humor make for a great awards host.

Plus, need we mention how great of a comedy duo Steve Martin & Martin Short have been together over the past three decades? They tour together frequently, hosted SNL together in 2022 where Gomez made a guest appearance, and even co-headlined their own Netflix special in 2018. In each of their own lanes, Martin's previously hosted the show three times: once with Alec Baldwin & twice solo. Short as his alter ego Jiminy Glick has proven how hysterical of a host he can be from his recent residency on Jimmy Kimmel Live, just look at this laugh count.

This past year at the Golden Globes, stand-up comedy was acknowledged for the first time ever as its own category for a comedy special & presenting the first ever honor was comedy heavyweight Jim Gaffigan, who got a chance to demonstrate how great of an awards show host he can be if he was given the opportunity. And in this bit, he poked some fun at how "for 80 years, good looking people threw a party" and to the audience when acknowledging stand-up comedy's debut presence at the awards ceremony, he boldly shared how they "finally decided to invite the talented people."

Gaffigan's been a mainstay in the comedy world since his start in the 90s, and he's been hitting new strides lately since releasing ten comedy specials (his eleventh premiering this November, The Skinny, will be the first ever Hulu original stand-up special), performing opposite Jerry Seinfeld, Sebastian Maniscalco & Nate Bargatze across many major arenas & festivals, & now playing MN governor Tim Walz on SNL. With all this in play, Gaffigan could certainly rise to the occasion to host the upcoming awards ceremony.

The Tennessee Kid Nate Bargatze has been having an impressive stand-up cycle this past year since releasing his latest comedy special, Hello World, at the top of 2023. He’s now hosted Saturday Night Live twice within a year, signed on to star & produce a new CBS holiday special with Lorne Michaels, joined the Advisory Board at the National Comedy Center, announced his next two specials with Netflix (one of which premieres this Christmas Eve), and on top of all that, he’s got his first book coming out next year.

Knowing all this stellar comedy street cred, take a look back when he nailed his first SNL hosting gig (his second time just a few weeks ago was triumphant return). The multi-talented comic is skilled at keeping the room engaged, entertained, and most importantly: laughing. If the Oscars are looking for a host who can pull a wider audience with a legit clean comedy edge, Nate is the man for the job.

Hasan Minhaj is no stranger to hosting awards shows or his own talk shows. Since his debut as a correspondent on The Daily Show in 2014, Minhaj has gone on to become one of the biggest names in comedy who would later continue to flex his hosting talents on the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2017, his talk show Patriot Act for two seasons on Netflix, the Film Independent Spirit Awards early last year (seen above), and now hosting his own YouTube series Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know. Plus, he’s also got two Netflix comedy specials under his belt with his third, Off With His Head, premiering next week.

Here you can get a glimpse of Minhaj's most recent hosting performance at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, where his charismatic charm & smart jokes are seen on full display while managing to keep the room entertained & having a good time. Minhaj would easily rise to the occasion again for the Oscars hosting gig & do a solid job should the Academy give him the call.

Mike Birbiglia is one of the most beloved, funny & critically acclaimed comedians working today. It can’t be said enough for how great a host Birbiglia would be if he was given the shot to host the Oscars. Longtime fans of Birbiglia’s may remember the time he hosted the Gotham Awards in 2012, where he famously roasted Academy Award nominated director David O. Russell at the ceremony by reading a transcript of Russell's on-set argument with actress Lily Tomlin for their film I Heart Huckabees. This later ended up becoming a big part of Birbiglia’s hit Netflix special Thank God For Jokes, which you can find its accompanying comedy album available as a digital download & vinyl on 800 Pound Gorilla.

Mike’s hosting chops can also be seen during a previous appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! when the host got covid in 2022 as well as his revered podcast Working It Out. He has a gift for making his crowd feel welcome with his “Birbiglian” effect as the New York Times calls it & it would be a treat to see his brilliant storytelling on the Academy Awards stage someday.

Since launching her own major network & late night series After Midnight at the beginning of this year, Taylor Tomlinson has cemented herself as an established & respected TV host who’s currently setting a new precedent for comedy in late night (not to mention also being the only woman hosting a late night show currently). Her hosting talents have been honed in greatly thanks in large part to her popular & acclaimed Netflix comedy specials (one of which made a top chart position on Netflix’s 2024 viewership charts).

But what would be the next level for Tomlinson to hone in this hard skill set further: giving her the hosting gig for next year’s Academy Awards. With nearly a year into her newest “corporate job” she describes & the new heights she’s currently hitting in her career, her comedic chops would shine greatly on the grand stage where her exceptional stand-up & undeniable likeness would help make for a great host.

King of physical comedy Sebastian Maniscalco is one of today’s top stand-up comedians who’s continuing to reach new heights in his career. Fresh off a record breaking run of sold out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York, he’s gearing up to release his seventh stand-up special following his ongoing & highly grossing It Ain’t Right Tour as well as release the second season of his starring & Chuck Lorre produced comedy series Bookie on Max.

Sebastian could easily rise to the occasion if given the call to host next year’s ceremony, just look back at his hosting gig at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards. He knows not just to play for the audience in the room but for the audience at home as well, giving him the power to know how to play the show with his strengths in mind. He’s also got some Oscars connections in play having previously starred in the critically acclaimed films The Irishman & Green Book & as well as starring opposite Academy Award winner Robert De Niro in last year’s About My Father.

Last year’s SAG Awards brought out one of the ceremony’s most talked about & funny moments of the night thanks with the help of the deadpan comedy stylings of Aubrey Plaza & Jenna Ortega. Each of their grim vibes propelled from their performances on Parks And Recreation & Wednesday respectively made them seemingly a good pair together, yet the two of them still question it.

Plaza starts off this presentation saying “I don’t know why they paired us up together.” To which the Wednesday star responded, “Yeah, I know, we have nothing in common.” Fans have called them long lost siblings following their appearance together at the show, so perhaps this appearance was just the right seed to plant to potentially see these two as a great pair together to host next year’s Oscars.

Two legendary comedians, SNL alumni & podcast co-hosts David Spade & Dana Carvey together have done so much over the course of both of their storied careers. Together, they’re currently known for hosting the Fly on the Wall podcast as well as their spin off Superfly podcast, where they’re both so entertaining as hosts to hear & watch their shows. Each is currently killing it in their own respective lanes when not on those shows together. Spade has been out touring his newest hour and just taped the new special this month in Denver while Carvey can currently be seen parodying President Joe Biden on SNL.

Despite these two hosting their two podcasts together & each having their own weight of impressive comedy chops, they have not hosted an awards show together yet. And them on the Oscars stage could be an exciting one to watch. Knowing their podcasts & seeing their own individual appearances hosting late night shows or presenting at a ceremony shows what they can bring to the table. Take a look back at Carvey’s time hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live above and also check out Spade honoring Adam Sandler with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor for further evidence.

Actress & comedian Quinta Brunson has been making waves across the entertainment industry since the premiere of her hit comedy series Abbott Elementary. Her series, for which she stars in, writes, & is a show-runner for, has been nominated for an impressive 24 Emmys and includes a win for her as an Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. While she’s yet to host an official awards show, she’s had her fair share of presenting at a few already and even hosted Saturday Night Live last year.

Given the Disney connection with her show’s network ABC, which will also air next year’s Oscars, we could see some potential tie ins with the same TV property wanting to have Brunson step up to the plate & host. From looking back at her opening SNL monologue, she has a natural comedic charm & knows how to keep the room celebratory.

Two of the biggest actors in the world right now, Hugh Jackman & Ryan Reynolds, starred together in this summer's box office juggernaut Deadpool & Wolverine. The Marvel Studios film is now one of the biggest movies of the year that also holds the title of highest grossing R-rated film (and of course, R-rated comedy) of all time. These two hosting together could make for an unforgettable awards ceremony and now, the two are actively being considered to host this year’s Oscars and the chances look possible according to Deadline.

Jackman previously hosted the ceremony in 2009 to critical acclaim & Reynolds (while he may not have hosted this ceremony before) seems like he could be an obvious natural for this gig especially with Jackman by his side. The two have a long time friendship that dates decades since they first worked together on X-Men and fans that have followed them since know how great of a chemistry & bond they have together. Plus, the two knocked it out of the park with their guest hosting slot for Jimmy Kimmel Live! this summer while promoting the film. The two have such natural improv skills, good timing & evidently are through & through entertainers.