25 best award show hosts
By Reed Gaudens
10. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin
Show: 82nd Annual Academy Awards (2010)
Memorable Moments: Prior to teaming up with Alec Baldwin to host the 2010 Oscars, Steve Martin took on the show on his own for 2001’s 73rd Annual Academy Awards and 2003’s 75th Annual Academy Awards. Naturally, Baldwin and Martin’s senses of humor blend well, and they proved to be a formidable hosting duo. The pair opened the show with a musical number by Neil Patrick Harris and then descended from the rafters on a set piece Britney Spears might use in Vegas. They proceed to riff on the nominees, such as their It’s Complicated co-star, the perennial front-row favorite Meryl Streep.
Public Reception: While Alec Baldwin and Steven Martin seem like a surefire fan-favorite hosting duo, their performance and the show as a whole received mixed reviews from critics. Some called the ceremony boring due in part to its weird pacing, but there’s only so much you can do to make the middle section of the show — the technical awards — an interesting viewing experience. However, other critics did enjoy Baldwin and Martin’s tried and true methods of hosting a celebrity-filled gala. Hey, when push comes to shove, aim your jokes at Meryl. She’s always game.
Why They’re One of the Best: Even though Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin didn’t become the next great hosting partnership and preside over the show for multiple years, they turned in a solid show with no real hiccups or scandalous moments to speak of. (The next year would welcome Anne Hathaway and James Franco to the stage, and we know how that went…) Together and separately, Baldwin and Martin are reliable voices in comedy who will do almost anything to get the laugh and make the statement. They were disputably the right choice in a year that saw things really start to take a turn toward social media’s invasion.