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The Emmy Awards celebrates the best in television every year, from dramas to comedies, horror, and more, as well as acting, including both supporting and leading roles. As with most other awards ceremonies, a good host is central to the broadcast. They deliver an opening sequence, tell some jokes, and provide comic relief in between awards presentations.
The Primetime Emmy Awards are televised, honoring the best in primetime television from traditional, pay, and streaming networks. The 2018 Emmys were the 71st broadcast of the event and were hosted by Michel Che and Colin Jost from Saturday Night Live, who received mixed reviews. The 2019 Emmys, meanwhile, proceeded without a host. How did they do? We touch on that below with this list of the 5 best and worst Emmy hosts ever.
Best: Bob Newhart
Bob Newhart is known for his deadpan comedic style, so it’s no surprise that this translated well to the Emmys. He not only hosted in 1961, but he has also appeared in a series of gags on subsequent broadcasts.
In 2006, for example, he was placed in an airtight glass prison and the audience was told that it only had three hours of air so he would die if the Emmy broadcast went over the time limit. And this year, he appeared in a hilarious sketch with Ben Stiller joking that he wasn’t dead yet!
Worst: Bill Cosby
Cosby hosted in 1966 alongside Danny Kaye, then again in 1969 with Merv Griffin. He also won an Emmy in 1966 for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series (phew!) for I Spy.
His lackluster performance as co-host proved that being a great comedian doesn’t necessarily translate to being a great host. The Emmys requires a special kind of host who can pump the room up before things begin and keep everyone energized throughout what can sometimes be a boring, monotonous ceremony. He and Kaye weren't the right people for that job.
Add in Cosby's recent downfall, and this particular hosting gig didn't age well at all.
Best: Neil Patrick Harris
While he didn’t quite hit the nail on the head when he hosted the Academy Awards, Harris was in his element for the less stuffy Emmys when he hosted back in 2009, and again in 2013.
A talented actor, musician, and magician, Harris had all of the right elements to make the ceremonies a success. He is responsible for one of the most successful opening sequences of the Emmys called “Put Down the Remote” where he sang a song urging viewers to put down their phones and avoid setting their TiVos, changing the channel, or taking a bathroom break – just simply watch the amazing show to come!
Worst: Bryant Gumbel
Whoever decided to have a television journalist and sportscaster host the Emmys made a really bad decision. Hosting in 1997, he was far too straight-laced for an awards ceremony that relies on a host to deliver an entertaining and joke-filled opening monologue along with witty one-liners throughout the broadcast.
To his credit, he did a decent enough job. But on a night celebrating the best in acting and televised entertainment, one would appreciate seeing the actors endure a little ribbing and roasting before delivering their emotional and heartfelt speeches to even out the broadcast. He was, to put it mildly, boring.
Best: Ellen DeGeneres
Hosting three times (first in 1994 with Patricia Richardson), DeGeneres had the tough job of hosting the awards show in 2001, after it had been postponed due to 9/11 and then the beginning of the war in Afghanistan.
Luckily, she knew how to teeter the line between funny and unacceptable, never crossing it to deliver appropriately tasteful yet topical jokes. She had the important job of trying to make a room full of people laugh amidst war and tragic death, and that’s exactly what viewers needed at the time.
Worst: Oprah Winfrey
I know it’s hard to imagine Oprah being the worst at anything. She is, of course, an amazing talk show host, author, motivational speaker – the list goes on. But while she knows how to interview everyone from presidents to abuse victims in such a way that draws you in, hosting awards show apparently isn’t really her thing.
She hosted back in 1996 alongside Michael J. Fox and Paul Reiser, so she was in good comedic company. But Winfrey is not exactly known for her humor, and it showed.
Best: Jimmy Kimmel
Hosting twice, in 2012 and 2016, Kimmel brought his always consistent comedic styling to the table both times. He always does a good job keeping the ceremonies together, breaking things up nicely with a well-delivered joke or two. And his quick wit always comes in handy.
He also used his clever penchant for pranking to get all of Twitter riled up, making viewers believe that Tracy Morgan had passed out on stage when he hosted in 2012. Morgan had not, but it took 25,000 Tweets before people figured out the joke. Add in Kimmel's long-held fictional rivalry with Matt Damon which was the basis for a skit, which successfully gave additional humor to the 2016 broadcast.
Worst: Ryan Seacrest
One would think that Ryan Seacrest, the gold standard for hosting, would do a great job at any hosting gig. But alas, the humor, pace, and vibe for the Emmys wasn’t a great fit. A good Emmys host has to seem genuine and be quick on their feet with jokes. Seacrest, however, is more of a read-the-script type of host. He isn’t a comedian, which is sort of what this hosting job requires.
He hosted first in 2007 then returned again the next year to host alongside other reality TV series hosts including Jeff Probst, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Tom Bergeron in what was widely considered to be one of the worst Emmys ever.
Best: Jimmy Fallon
Always with seemingly boundless energy, Fallon arrived with a bang when he hosted the 2010 awards and proceeded with an opening sequence of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” featuring the cast of GLEE, Tina Fey, Jon Hamm, and the incomparable Betty White.
Keeping the energy up in the room through the entire broadcast, something that Fallon continues to do on The Tonight Show, he offered a great balance of humor while standing back enough to let the actors shine.
Best: Seth Meyers
As a long-time writer on Saturday Night Live, then co-anchor on the sketch comedy series’ Weekend Update segment, Meyers went on to get his own late night talk show which proved that he is a great comedic talent.
So we weren’t surprised when he knocked it out of the park with his hosting gig in 2014 that featured smart and funny jokes, delivered in his signature sarcastic style. Meyers reportedly did a ton of research before working on his opening monologue, as any good writer should do, and it paid off in spades.