Anthony Anderson Set to Host January’s Strike-Delayed Emmys on Fox
The greatly delayed 75th annual Primetime Emmys are only a month away, but the ceremony finally has a host: Anthony Anderson. The “Black-ish” star will helm the January 15, 2024, telecast on Fox, live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from downtown Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater (formerly the Microsoft) at the L.A. Live complex.
“With our industry’s recent challenges behind us, we can get back to what we love — dressing up and honoring ourselves,” Anderson said in a statement. “And there’s no better celebratory moment to bring the creative community together than the milestone 75th Emmy Awards. When Fox asked me to host this historic telecast, I was over the moon that Taylor Swift was unavailable, and now I can’t wait to be part of the biggest night in television.”
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Earlier this fall, Fox announced that Anderson had been named the new host of its upcoming game show “We Are Family,” along with his mother, Doris Bowman. (That series debuts on Wednesday, Jan. 3, at 9 p.m. ET.) Anderson was also seen this season on Fox’s “The Masked Singer,” as he was revealed to be the celebrity under the Rubber Ducky costume. You could probably see where this was going.
“After Anthony hosted our upcoming show ‘We Are Family,’ we knew he’d be a natural fit for a star-studded, anticipatory night like the Emmys,” said Fox Entertainment unscripted programming prexy Allison Wallach. “Anthony’s known for his humor, heart and spontaneity, so he’s sure to give audiences in the theater and at home a night they’ll never forget.”
The last time Fox aired the Emmys, in 2019, the network opted to go without a host. But here’s the coincidental part: Anderson wound up opening that year’s telecast, making him a bit of a pseudo-host. The 2019 Emmys opened with an animated Homer Simpson on stage. But when a piano crashed onto Homer, Anderson — from the audience — quipped, “What the hell was that?” He then took it upon himself to “save the Emmys.” Watch:
Now Anderson is doing it for real.
“Anthony is a multi-talented performer and a great friend to the Television Academy,” said outgoing TV Academy chairman Frank Scherma, who signs off from that role once the credits roll. “We are thrilled that he is hosting what promises to be a rich celebration of the year’s outstanding television, as well as 75 years of Emmys excellence.”
Fox is the only network among the Big 4 broadcasters without a late-night franchise, which makes it tough to guess who might host the Emmys when it’s Fox’s turn at the wheel. (It also didn’t have one in 2003, the only other time this century that the Emmys went sans host.) That’s why it’s always more of a guessing game to figure out who will host the Fox broadcast of the Emmys (or if there will be a host).
Among the other possibilities that could have been: “Community” alums Ken Jeong, Joel McHale and Yvette Nicole Brown — given that both Jeong and McHale appear on multiple Fox series. Other Fox options might have included Will Arnett (“Lego Masters”), David Spade (“Snake Oil”) and Gordon Ramsay (virtually every Fox cooking show).
Fox and the TV Academy didn’t necessarily have to wait until the SAG-AFTRA strike ended to select a host, given that awards shows fall under the guild’s Network Code contract, which was not a part of this year’s negotiations. But for optics alone, it’s doubtful any performer would have been willing to confirm an Emmy hosting gig until the town was back to work.
As a host, Anderson has filled in for Jimmy Kimmel on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” James Corden on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” and Ellen DeGeneres on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” He has also hosted several editions of the NAACP Image Awards, the Soul Train Awards and co-hosted “Stand Up to Cancer,” among other events. His TV hosting spans multiple series, including the ABC gamer “To Tell the Truth” with Bowman.
Anderson also currently hosts the A&E series “Kings of BBQ” with pal Cedric the Entertainer, and also traveled through Europe recently for the series “Trippin’ with Anthony Anderson and Mama Doris.” Anderson follows recent hosts Jimmy Kimmel in 2020 on ABC, Cedric the Entertainer for CBS in 2021, Kenan Thompson on NBC in 2022.
The star has received 11 Emmy nominations — all for “Black-ish,” including outstanding comedy actor (playing Andre ‘Dre’ Johnson) in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. He participated in the Emmy-winning live TV specials “Live in Front of a Studio Audience,” as Henry Jefferson in “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons,’” and then singing the opening song with Patti LaBelle in the second special, Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘All in the Family’ and ‘Good Times.'”
Jesse Collins Entertainment is producing this year’s Emmy telecast, with Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay as executive producers. The event will now take place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, having originally been scheduled for September 18 until the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes led to the postponement. FXX will air an edited version of the two Creative Arts Emmys (which take place Saturday, Jan. 6, and Sunday, Jan. 7) on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET.
“Jesse Collins Entertainment has long admired the work of Anthony Anderson and treasure our many years working with him. We are truly looking forward to him hosting what is sure to be one of the most entertaining anniversary Emmy telecasts,” said Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay in a joint statement.
This year’s nominations were announced on July 12, less than 48 hours before the SAG-AFTRA strike began, effectively halting all production and promotion in the entertainment industry.
HBO’s “Succession” leads this year’s Emmy nominations, with 27 — including best drama, lead actress (Sarah Snook) and a record three lead actor noms (Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin and Jeremy Strong). “The Last of Us” — the first video game adaptation to receive major Emmy attention — followed with 24 noms, then Season 2 of “The White Lotus” (now a drama series, last year a limited series) with 23.
Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso” scored 21 noms, making it the year’s biggest comedy. Netflix’s “Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” with 13 nods, was the year’s most recognized limited/anthology series. Roku’s “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” was tops in TV movie, with eight. And “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” with seven, was the top unscripted series.
GLAAD — the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer media advocacy organization — has been named the recipient of the Television Academy‘s 2023 Governors Award, and will be presented with the honor during the Jan. 15 ceremony.
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