Cedric the Entertainer is ready to entertain at the Emmy Awards.
The comedian will host the 2021 edition of the award show honoring TV achievements on Sept. 19 in front of a limited live audience at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, CBS announced Monday.
“Since I was a little boy huddled up next to my grandmother, television has always been my reliable friend, so it is an enormous honor for me to host this year’s Emmy Awards,” Cedric the Entertainer said in a statement.
“Throughout the roller-coaster of a year that we have all lived through, television has helped us stay connected as a society like never before,” he continued. “It not only entertained us, but as it always has, it helped to open our eyes, educate us, and hopefully brought about a better understanding of who we are as a people. I can’t wait to take the stage to celebrate all of the great shows and performances that made us laugh, cry, dance and sing over the past year.”
The audience at the upcoming 73rd Emmys Awards ceremony will be restricted to nominees and their guests, organizers said.
The return to an in-person format follows a 2020 Emmys show that Jimmy Kimmel hosted without a crowd at the Staples Center in LA, with nominees giving acceptance speeches remotely over video streams.
Last year’s event saw the “Schitt’s Creek” sweep the main comedy categories at the show, including outstanding comedy show.
Nominations for the 2021 Emmys will be unveiled Tuesday.
Cedric the Entertainer, whose real name is Cedric Antonio Kyles, stars on the CBS sitcom “The Neighborhood.”
This will be his first time hosting the Emmys.
“Cedric the Entertainer has been a wonderful friend to the Television Academy and our Foundation, and we are thrilled that he will bring his unique comedic perspective to the Emmy ceremony and telecast that marks our return to celebrating nominees and presenters live and in-person,” Frank Scherma, the Televison Academy’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement.
In addition to airing on CBS, the Emmys will be available to view on the Paramount+ streaming service, organizers said Monday.
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