25 best award show hosts
By Reed Gaudens
8. Neil Patrick Harris
Show: 63rd Tony Awards (2009), 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2009), 65th Tony Awards (2011), 66th Tony Awards (2012), 67th Tony Awards (2013), 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2013), 87th Annual Academy Awards (2015)
Memorable Moments: Neil Patrick Harris hosts a lot of award shows. He’s hosted the Tony Awards four times, the Emmy Awards twice, and the Academy Awards once. For a long time, he was the go-to guy to get the party started. But out of all these shows, the Oscars sticks in the mind the most. Looking back, the 2015 Oscars were a real moment, weren’t they? NPH took the stage in his underwear, Emma Stone clutched her Lego Oscar, Chris Pine cried, Lady Gaga brought the house down, Meryl Streep created the best meme ever during Patricia Arquette’s acceptance speech… It’s one of those shows that you have to see to believe.
Public Reception: While the 87th Academy Awards were largely criticized because of the lack of diversity in the nominations and voting academy, the show itself received mixed reception from critics. Of course, the Oscars always drag on and on, and to gripe about the length of the show is a fool’s errand. Neil Patrick Harris, too, received mixed reviews, with some saying his bits ran too long. But he’s was mostly praised for his commitment to keeping the show going with an unmatched ability to entertain the masses with relative ease.
Why They’re One of the Best: Would Neil Patrick Harris have hosted the Oscars during any of the succeeding years, he would not have been nearly as successful. He’s a showman, an entertainer, a spectacle in human form. He’s not quite as adept at navigating humor that leans political, at least not like other hosts have. Luckily, he steered the ship in a comparatively tame year, allowing his comedy style to shine. But for the show he put on, Lego Oscars and all, he once again put his reliably delightful and talented presence as the ringleader of a Hollywood circus.