As of now, the 2019 Oscars – to be held Sunday, February 24, on ABC – is without a host.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first considered Kevin Hart for the job, but he stepped down after the backlash to his history of homophobic remarks. Now the Academy is reportedly considering not having a host at all.

It’s hard to find someone interesting for the job. For the most part, the hosts for major awards shows are the same people who host late night comedy talk shows.

It makes sense. Hosting a major awards show is a tough job. They seem perpetually at risk of becoming stale, solemn affairs. It’s up to the host to keep it energetic, manage egos of big stars, and honor the TV shows, movies, or songs at the same time. This is pretty much what late-night talk show hosts do on a smaller scale every night.

But in a Balkanized media landscape, where there are so many different kinds of shows, movies, and types of music on so many different kinds of platforms, there’s also something to be said for ejecting the standard trope of having a white male late-night funnyman host the show.

Here are 27 potential Oscar hosts who could inject some more fun into the show while keeping it classy.[/nextpage][nextpage]

Issa Rae

The showrunner, actress, and writer is best known for HBO’s “Insecure,” but she’s ready for a bigger spotlight. Rae is charming and hilarious in every interview she gives, and she has the chops to put on a good show and give every star their due.[/nextpage][nextpage]

Samantha Bee

Give a female late-night talk show host a chance! The Jimmys are fine, but Bee’s TBS show “Full Frontal” is just as funny and much, much sharper – particularly when it comes to the position of women in society, which is currently plaguing Hollywood. She could do a lot with a stage like the Golden Globes or Oscars.[/nextpage][nextpage]

The Rock

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a born entertainer. He’s charismatic, has a great onscreen presence, and he’s really funny. He’s injected life back into the “Fast and Furious” movies and “Jumanji.” He’s be great at doing the same with awards shows.

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Kumail Nanjiani

Nanjiani is a master at being incredibly funny while also imparting something meaningful, which he’s done with “The Big Sick” and his role on “Silicon Valley.” Plus, his “Saturday Night Live” hosting duties was one of the best we’ve seen. He’d be a great awards show host.

(Excerpt) Read More at: MSN.com[/nextpage]