ABC and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science have made the decision to once again go hostless for the 2020 Academy Awards.
“Let me confirm it now, together with the Academy, that there will be no traditional host this year,” ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke shared Wednesday during the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour, per the Hollywood Reporter. (RELATED: Spike Lee Goes On Profane Rant Against Trump At French Film Festival [VIDEO])
It’s official — the 2020 #Oscars will have no host https://t.co/fhi29ITryH
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) January 8, 2020
Burke also promised that this year’s show is guaranteed to have huge “star power” too, according to Deadline magazine. (RELATED: People Can’t Stop Talking About This Powerful Moment From The Oscars. It Will Give You Chills)
“[It will have] huge entertainment values, big musical numbers, comedy and star power,” the ABC Entertainment President explained.
In an interview the the Hollywood Reporter last March, Burke expressed an interest for the annual award show to repeat what they did last year that resulted in the first uptick in ratings in a while.
“We’re having those conversations with the Academy right now,” Karey explained at the time. “We are extremely happy with how the show went. Odds are you’ll see us repeating what we consider to be a successful formula.”
The decision to go hostless last year came after Kevin Hart backed out of doing the show following a backlash over decade-old tweets that were deemed anti-gay.
In 2019, the Academy Awards show averaged nearly 30 million viewers, with 11.5 percent year-over-year and a 7.7 rating in the highly coveted 18-49 demographic. That was an increase in the demographic of 13 percent over 2018.