10 Best Oscars Hosts Ever, Ranked

It's Oscar season once again, and as Conan O'Brien prepares to step up to the podium to host the 2026 ceremony online and via ABC, it's time to look back on the ceremony's storied history and figure out which of its many shepherds stood out among the flock. While there have undoubtedly been missteps featuring the Oscars' worst hosts — Seth MacFarlane warbling "We Saw Your Boobs" and David Letterman's "Oprah-Uma" bit immediately spring to mind — there have also been those who knocked it out of the park. Effortless emcees who roll with the punches when things go wrong, celebrate the night's highlights and lowlights, and keep the proceedings rolling along as the night trudges — sometimes endlessly, it seems — along.

Which of these Oscar hosts stood out among the pack and made the night their own — in some cases to the point where they've been invited back again and again to lead the festivities? Here are the ceremony's favorite sons and daughter, the 10 best hosts the Oscars have ever had in ascending order.

David Niven earned his spot on this list for his cool unflappability under pressure — and for managing to turn what might have been a huge fiasco into a memorable moment. 

Yes, Niven was one of several actors hosting the ceremony when a man decided to indulge in the then-popular past time of streaking at the 1974 honors. Streaking is the act of running about at a public event fully nude, sometimes to make a political point, and sometimes just for fun. Niven was in the process of introducing presenter Elizabeth Taylor when a man ran in from behind him and exited the stage. The actor got a good chuckle out of the moment, but came up with a fun, off-the-cuff bon mot that made his work the stuff of legends.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen. That was almost bound to happen," he remarked, after a moment of flustered vamping and a merry aside from the night's orchestra. "But isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?" The audience roared, and a memorable hosting moment was born. Niven hosted the Oscars twice more, but naturally this was the most memorable moment in his whole tenure.

Movie star Hugh Jackman was born to be an Oscar host. With his long background as a Broadway actor, he had the talent to anchor the 2009 ceremony. His old-fashioned razzle-dazzle kept the night flowing along smoothly. While it's not as memorable as the other hosting experiences listed here, it's worth watching every single moment of Jackman's musical numbers. Is it any wonder he won a Tony?

The actor can also dance and sing as movies like "The Last Showman" show, and his take on the ceremony leaned heavily on these skills. The event saw him sing with Beyoncé, dance with stars like Zac Efron and preside over a night that proved to be truly emotional. Heath Ledger posthumously won best supporting actor, and "Slumdog Millionaire" was named best picture. It was a year for heartwarming moments and comfort food, and Jackman more than managed to rise to the occasion with a wink and a song. 

Jon Stewart knows how to command an audience, so his easygoing turn at bat was another enjoyable and compelling trip through Hollywood history. Stewart emceed the ceremony in 2006 and 2008, and during his 2008 outing in particular his work was enjoyable, funny, and steady. What makes him a standout is that while he didn't have to deal with any chaos during his time at bat, he still managed to create an entertaining and intriguing program.

While it's definitely true that he didn't get much of a chance to be as witty and pointedly honest as he does on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," he still managed to get some fun asides in — though some of the writing's humor feels a little stodgy compared to the uber modern pace and tone of his political news talk show. Still, that isn't the host's fault, and Stewart does his level best to keep the cameras rolling without overwhelming the proceedings, and manages to do so without feeling bland. It's a fine high wire act and worth a rewatch.

Neil Patrick Harris's Oscar work is often overshadowed by how well he emceed other ceremonies. He's well-known for his time as a host for the Tonys and often brought innovative new ideas to the table. His single experience heading the ceremony in 2015 was laden with his typical humor and charm.

While there were some unfortunate jokes — his crack about documentarian Dana Perry's outfit was particularly egregious even at the time, in light of the fact that she was accepting an Oscar she'd dedicated to her late son. On top of that, her film is about a crisis hotline set up for American veterans.  But even with that in mind, he was still notably bright and witty, an entertainer who wasn't afraid to bear a little skin or look a ridiculous to keep every eye on him. And many of his witticisms were on point; his crack about the name Benedict Cumberbatch being what happens "when you ask John Travolta to pronounce Ben Affleck" is still hilarious, no matter which way you slice it.

Whoopi Goldberg has always been a treat as a television emcee, and her four times at bat hosting the Oscars have been no exception to the rule. Often showing up in elaborate costumes that play off the nominated films of the year, her time in standup comedy served her well every single time she's grabbed the mic.

All of Goldberg's best onscreen performances while working the grandest room in Hollywood have been inspired by her quick asides. For example, she once reacted to staid audience response to a slightly naughty joke about the infamously leggy "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" character Jessica Rabbit by crowing "that's why they hired me, honey!" Effortlessly confident — as any EGOT winner should be — and filled with salty wisdom, she knows how to deliver even the corniest punchline with rapid-fire energy, making her easily one of the best ringleaders the Academy has ever sported.

Johnny Carson was the Cadillac of Oscar hosts. Reliable, classy, dependable, and smart, Carson's successful decades-plus run as the host of the "Tonight Show" led to a recurring gig as the host on Oscar's biggest night. If Billy Crystal was the Oscars to '90's film fans, then Carson represented the '80s with all of their charms, pitfalls and excesses. He hosted the ceremony five times solo, eventually existing as enough of a cultural emblem to inspire future fellow Oscars emcee Conan O'Brien. 

After decades in the late night game, Carson knew exactly how to make a slow night go quickly, with plenty of dry charm and topical references that might go over the heads of modern audiences. But some jokes are timeless, and there's a reason why there are entire streaming channels dedicated to his work. Decades later and long after Carson's death, people want to spend their evenings with Johnny — so it's no surprise that Oscar did, too.

Steve Martin hosted the Oscars three times over the years, including once with Alec Baldwin. Aside from that odd duck pairing, Martin's sharp-edged humor worked to waken the sometimes-sleepy Academy audiences, making them chuckle at themselves. Always standing on the edge of neurosis, forever freely jabbing at the political and the popular, but only occasionally overtly controversial, Martin's humor is both self-depreciating and aware of the world's follies. For example: He joked during his 2001 monologue (via YouTube) while acknowledging first-time nominee Kate Hudson that he loved introducing young stars to Hollywood "because it reminds me of my own death." 

Dour but filled with knowing wisdom, all of Martin's hosting gigs have been entertaining and his confidence unshakable and enjoyable to witness. Whether he's mocking the latest Hollywood hit or sitting wrapped with Baldwin in a Slanket, he remains a treasure, and his Oscar gigs are some of the greatest in the show's history.

Chris Rock did a bang-up job hosting the MTV Music Awards, and his move to the Oscar stage was a  popular choice among younger movie fans. He hosted two Academy get-togethers, and each time Rock appeared onstage, he couldn't resist being as honest as humanly possible about the entertainment world — a feature, not a flaw, when it comes to his routines. His 2016 duties paired with the #oscarssowhite controversy, and his humor was as blunt that night as it always is.

"We didn't protest because we had real things to protest at the time. We were too busy being raped and lynched to care about who won best cinematographer," he said at the time (via Time Magazine). And, later: "Hollywood is sorority-racist. 'We like you, Rhonda, but you're not Kappa.'"

It's Rock's daring — his refusal to appease and give himself over to blander topics — which makes his work at each ceremony so important. His legacy ought to run deeper than that infamous slap Will Smith gave him while presenting during the 2022 ceremony, which resulted in Smith becoming a celebrity who's banned from the Oscars.

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Constantly joking about how he was never a competitive Oscar winner, Bob Hope's hosting legacy stretches across 19 ceremonies, an impressive and towering feat. He was the first actor to host a televised Oscar event and the first to host one on colorized television. He took his final turn at the mic in 1978. That's a lot of roasting, toasting, and boasting and above it all, Hope floated with punchy grace.

The "Road to Morocco" actor's comedy could be surprisingly daring — he once made a joke at the 1955 fete that "The winners will, of course, take home an Oscar. The losers will all be presented with monogrammed do-it-yourself suicide kits" (via Vice). No other host captured the pressure and the joy of becoming a winner or a nominee better. It's fitting that he was finally given honors by the Academy for his service — even though he once joked that "Oscar night at my house is called Passover" (per The Bob and Dolores Hope Foundation).

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Movie icon Billy Crystal is narrowing in on Bob Hope's hosting streak: As of this writing, he's helmed or co-helmed the Oscars nine times since 1990, sometimes with other partners but mostly solo. Crystal's spirited and free-flowing style — honed on "Saturday Night Live" and the Broadway stage — have always been in their fullest flourish while strutting about the world's grandest stage. He's the best host of the bunch due to his consistency and his charisma.

Crystal easily embodied the spirit of 1990s Hollywood, whether he was singing and dancing his heart out or appearing in his signature opening monologue skits. During those vignettes, he was inserted through photographic trickery and eventually CGI into the blockbusters of that year. It's impossible to forget the sight of the actor being wheeled onto the stage strapped to a gurney and in a straitjacket like Hannibal Lecter from "Silence of the Lambs." Perhaps someday he'll return to head the Oscars once more — but with nine appearences behind him, Crystal is definitely a tough act to beat.