On Feb. 15, The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced that The 94th Academy Awards will be hosted by Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes. The last time the ceremony had a host was back in 2018 when Jimmy Kimmel hosted. For the past three years, the Oscars have opted for a hostless award ceremony since the controversy surrounding Kevin Hart when he stepped down as the host of the 92nd Oscar ceremony.

Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes are all fixtures in the Hollywood establishment so it will be interesting to see how the Dolby Theater, full of the Hollywood elite, reacts to their work. Schumer has made a name for herself through stand up comedy, and movies like “Trainwreck” have exposed her to a larger audience. Sykes is another figure who has been doing stand up and has been nominated for multiple awards including winning an Emmy for writing on “The Chris Rock Show.” Hall will round out the trio and join the group with experience from comedy movies such as “Girls Trip.”

Ahead of this official announcement, rumors circulated that actors like Pete Davidson and Tom Holland were in talks to host the ceremony. This strategy of bringing in young, popular actors makes sense for the Academy because ratings have steadily been declining. Gaining the attention of younger audiences would help them stay relevant. “I would have

preferred Pete Davidson and Tom Holland because they are the people that Gen Z wants to see. If the Oscars want better ratings, they should be putting out people that younger folks would want to watch,” Bri Callow ‘25 told The Carroll News. 

The announcement of the hosts comes during a recent wave of Academy news that has many fans of the ceremony scratching their heads. Beginning on Feb. 14, the Oscars opened a Twitter poll that allows fans to vote on their favorite film of the year, even if it did not receive a single nomination The winner will be announced live on the broadcast according to Variety. Fans can cast their votes via Twitter or directly on the Academy’s website.

On top of all of this news, it was also announced that eight categories would not be presented live in an effort to gain more viewers. David Ruben, the president of the Academy, stated in a letter that editing, sound, production design, hair and makeup, all three

short film categories and original score will be awarded before the broadcast begins. This left many inside and outside the industry frustrated that those in below-the-line positions were not being appreciated enough. Callow voiced her frustration with this decision by saying, “I don’t think it is fair for them to cut those categories because movies don’t get made with just directors and actors. There is a lot more to it.” 

These recent announcements and controversies have made for an interesting awards season thus far on top of other ceremonies taking place. With this in mind, it is important to remember that the intention of the Oscars should be to honor films and the people behind them. The main goal of this year’s ceremony, however, seems to be gaining back viewership and maybe all of this news will leave people interested enough to tune in on March 27 for the 94th Academy Awards.