The Oscars are going on without a host...again

It’s official – the Oscars are once again going on without a host. For the second year in a row, the biggest night in North American films is relying on presenters, performers and pre-taped videos to keep the three-plus hour show running smoothly.On Wednesday, ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke attended the 2020 Television Critics Association press tour in California and announced that once again, the Oscars would go on without a host. “Together with the Academy we have decided there will be no traditional host again this year, repeating what worked for us last year: huge entertainment value, big musical numbers, big comedy, and star power,” said Burke. Shortly after Burke’s announcement, the news was shared on social media, with the Academy’s twitter handle confirming stars, performances, surprises, and no host.

This year’s #Oscars at a glance:

✅ Stars✅ Performances✅ Surprises? HostSee you Feb. 9th!— The Academy (@TheAcademy) January 8, 2020

In 2018, the Oscars announced first-time host Kevin Hart as the man in charge of 90^th Academy Awards. Shortly after Hart was given the job, decade-old homophobic tweets by the comedian surfaced, and many called for the actor to step down from his hosting gig. After much back and forth between Hart and the Academy, the comedian ultimately decided that he had already apologized enough for his hurtful comments and would not do so again, instead making the choice to step away from the Oscars and leave the award show host-less for the first time since 1989.[video_embed id='-1']These films are favourites to win Best Picture at the Oscars[/video_embed]As noted by Deadline, the new format worked. Ratings for the 2019 Oscars went up by 12 percent from the previous year when Jimmy Kimmel hosted, which marked the lowest-rated telecast in the show’s history. The Oscars cut their running time by 30 minutes and scored big name presenters like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who famously hosted the Golden Globes multiple times, a move that likely brought in viewers. It’s also possible many people tuned in just to see whether the Academy could pull off a host-less show, and this year’s numbers will confirm whether bucking tradition is the smart move.As for when we’ll finally learn who is nominated this year, the nomination announcements are just a few days away — but also still hostless. Kumail Nanjiani and Tracee Ellis Ross announced the 2019 nominees, but the Oscars have yet to confirm whether anyone is announcing this year’s list. The announcement for the 2020 Academy Award nominations will take place Monday, January 13, and be announced in two parts on Oscars.com and on social media.Starting at 8:18 a.m. ET, the Academy will announce nominations for Actor in a Supporting Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Costume Design, Film Editing, Original Score, Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing. At 8:30:30 a.m. ET, the second set of categories will be read; Actor in a Leading Role, Actress in a Leading Role, Animated Feature Film, Cinematography, Directing, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, International Feature Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Song, Best Picture, Production Design, Visual Effects, Adapted Screenplay, and Original Screenplay. Keep checking TheLoop.ca for full Oscars coverage, including nominations, presenter announcements and more.Watch the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday, February 9 at 8 p.m. ET on CTV.[video_embed id='-1']Before you go: Playful pup sends baby into hilarious giggle fit[/video_embed]