The 2020 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are moving ahead as scheduled on September 20th, with Jimmy Kimmel as host! It is unclear if the broadcast will include an in-person audience, or if the show will go virtual. Either way, this year is expected to be very different.
In a statement, Kimmel said: “I don't know where we will do this or how we will do this or even why we are doing this, but we are doing it and I am hosting it.” The Jimmy Kimmel Live! host will also serve as an executive producer. He previously hosted the 64th and 68th Emmy ceremonies.
Additional details will be “announced soon.”
“We know Jimmy Kimmel will deliver a uniquely entertaining, funny and moving Primetime Emmys show,” said Karey Burke, president of ABC Entertainment. “He's a true master of ceremonies who reveres this industry and its people; and just as Jimmy has done with his own show over the past few months, he will tackle this momentous event with heart and humor, and bring some much-needed joy and optimism to our television colleagues and viewers at home.”
Awards season has been in flux this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, as shows and production have been shut down. On Monday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 93rd Oscars would be rescheduled for the first time in 40 years due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Oscars will now take place on April 25, 2021.
The show is set to air at 8 pm EST on Sunday, September 20 on ABC. Last year, the Emmys experimented without a host, with mixed results. Instead, Fox invited Halsey to perform a tribute for the In Memoriam segment. In addition, Adam DeVeine and Thomas Lennon provided commentary as well.