25 best award show hosts
By Reed Gaudens
9. Seth Meyers
Show: 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2014), 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2018)
Memorable Moments: Before hosting the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2018, Seth Meyers hosted the Emmy Awards in 2014. Sure, that was fun and he did great, but he really showed up for the Golden Globes. If you’ll remember, the Golden Globes were the first award show in 2018 following the explosive #MeToo and Time’s Up movements that exposed a history of sexual harassment and assault in various workplaces. Meyers had the intimidating responsibility to address these matters with equal parts humor and care.
In his opening monologue, Meyers kept things casual, as if it were just another episode of his show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, or a pointed segment of Weekend Update. He rightfully disgraced famous white men such as Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Woody Allen, and the, uh, current President of the United States. Meyers also brought with him a segment from his show, “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell.” With help from Jessica Chastain, Billy Eichner, Issa Rae, national treasure Amy Poehler, and others, Meyers told jokes specific to marginalized groups.
Public Reception: If Seth Meyers received any criticism for his hosting gig at the Golden Globes, it’s more than likely of the nitpicky variety. As he pointed out in his opening monologue, the 2018 Golden Globes wasn’t a job that had hosts lining around the block. It was a heavily political year, with most attendees bringing activists as their dates and stars swapping colorful attire for a mournful dark. In that sense, the usually lighthearted ceremony went serious and probably earned some frustration. But let’s not split hairs for a year where it was necessary to make a statement.
Why They’re One of the Best: Seth Meyers makes it look easy, doesn’t he? To tell jokes, say the right thing, and rarely (if ever) put his foot in his mouth. From his late-night talk show to wherever he appears, he’s not the one to ruffle feathers. He’s typically the voice of reason, and that’s the role he played at the Golden Globes. He knew when to make the biting remarks and when to step aside to hold space for others to use their voices. If there was ever a blueprint for how to host an award show during a tense political year, look at Seth Meyers, one of the best award show hosts to ever pull it off.