American comedian Chris Rock will host the Oscar ceremony for a second time next February, producers said on Wednesday, bringing what is expected to be an edgier feel to Hollywood's biggest night.
Rock, a stand-up comedian and former cast member of the long-running sketch show 'Saturday Night Live', last hosted the live Academy Awards telecast in 2005, winning mixed reviews for his pointed remarks on politics and race and helping to draw an audience of some 41.5 million American viewers.
The hosting job is regarded as one of the biggest honours in the entertainment industry. But it is also one of the most difficult, as it requires mixing comedic monologues, keeping a three-hour plus show moving, and entertaining both the movie industry's biggest players in the audience as well as viewers at home.
"Chris Rock is truly the MVP of the entertainment industry,” David Hill and Reginald Hudlin, who will produce the live telecast, said in a statement. "Comedian, actor, writer, producer, director, documentarian - he’s done it all. He’s going to be a phenomenal Oscar host!"
Rock, 50, said in a statement, "It's great to be back."
The telecast has taken on a variety show feel in recent years with more song and dance elements and hosts that included Broadway star Hugh Jackman and Neil Patrick Harris. Under Harris last year, the U.S. television audience fell to its lowest level in six years with some 36.6 million viewers.
The choice of Rock suggests producers are going for an edgier, more contemporary feel, and one that reflects criticism last year that nominees for the movie industry's highest awards were overwhelmingly white.
Salon.com's Anna Silman on Wednesday suggested Rock would not let Hollywood off easily on the question of race. She noted that some of the most memorable moments of recent awards shows have dealt with the lack of diversity in the industry.
"It will be great to have a host who isn’t afraid to confront that head on," Silman wrote.
In 2005, Rock delivered biting criticism of then U.S. President George W. Bush. The 2016 Academy Award ceremony will take place during the U.S. presidential election campaign, giving Rock an opportunity for pointed political comedy once again.
"He is unafraid in his artistry," Dawn Hudson, chief executive of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said in a statement. “We couldn’t be happier to welcome him back to the Oscars.”
Rock, a four time Emmy winner, created and produced the TV sitcom 'Everybody Hates Chris', based on his own life, which ran from 2005 to 2009. His movie appearances include 'Lethal Weapon 4' and 'The Longest Yard'.
The Academy Awards ceremony will take place in Hollywood on Feb. 28. Nominations will be announced in January.
Other recent hosts include Ellen DeGeneres, Jon Stewart, James Franco and Anne Hathaway, and Seth MacFarlane.
