The Emmys have tapped Jimmy Kimmel to host the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. The "Jimmy Kimmel Live" host last emceed the event in 2012 when ABC last broadcasted the ceremony.
Kimmel announced the news via Twitter on Monday morning. He follows "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" star Andy Samberg, who hosted the awards last year for Fox.
I am hosting the #Emmys on Sunday Sept 18. Until then, have a great summer.
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) March 7, 2016
The 48-year-old comedian added in a statement, "I am excited to be hosting the Emmys again. I have a feeling I'm going to be great."
ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey also said, "Jimmy Kimmel is the consummate showman. With Kimmel at the helm, expect to be at the edge of your seat for a bigger, boulder, and better-than-ever Emmy event."
The networks share the rights to the Emmys telecast. Previous to Samberg in 2015, Seth Meyers hosted in 2014 for NBC and Neil Patrick Harris performed the hosting duties for CBS in 2013 (and 2009). Jane Lynch hosted in 2011, the first woman to host since Ellen DeGeneres in 2005 (not including Heidi Klum at the disastrous 2008 awards with four other reality show hosts).
During his last time out, Kimmel had an ill-conceived Botox treatment before the Emmys ceremony and needed the assistant of Zooey Deschanel, Christina Hendricks, Mindy Kaling, Martha Plimpton, Kathy Bates, Connie Britton and a naked, cake-eating Lena Dunham to punch his face back in. DeGeneres also helped, giving Kimmel her pants after he forgot to wear his.
The Emmy Awards recently added four new categories, expanding the short-form series awards. The new additions include comedy or drama, variety, reality/non-fiction; and animation. The series must have a minimum of six episodes with an average length of 15 minutes or less and air on tradition TV or streaming online.
Awards were also added for short-form actor and actress. They will be presented at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which will air over two nights this fall, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 10 and Sept. 11.
Emmy nominations will be announced on the morning of Thursday, July 14.
The 2016 Emmys will air on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. on ABC. The show will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
