There have been some great Oscar hosts in the past such as Neil Patrick Harris, Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, and James Franco. The 91^st Oscars changed the award show forever when it was decided that there would not be a host this year.

It was unknown how this year’s Oscars would turn out due to the lack of a host and there is a good reason for why people were skeptical. This wasn’t the first time that the Oscars would go without a host and the last time was a disaster. The 61^st Oscars was credited as the worst academy awards ever and “A complete embarrassment to the academy and entire motion picture industry.” Said Gregory Peck the former Academy president. What was thought to be another disaster award show turned out to be a possible stepping stone for all award shows today?

Comedian and actor Kevin Hart was supposed to be this year’s host but would later step down after some controversial tweets would resurface. In 2009 Hart tweeted some homophobic jokes and this would lead to the Academy giving him an ultimatum. Hart was told to either apologize for the tweets or prepare for them to find another host. Hart said that he would not apologize for the tweets because he had addressed the issue multiple times. Hart also stated that there was “no harm, no foul” if the Academy took away the opportunity. After he had stepped down, he tweeted out that he was sorry for his insensitive words.

Even with all the setbacks and scandals, the Oscars did not disappoint and was rather successful without a host. Without a host, it let the presenters have more freedom with how they presented the awards without having to worry about overshadowing the host. The Oscars also managed to avoid the political controversy that comes with many hosts speeches in not just the Oscars, but other award shows as well.

With the major success that the 91^st Oscars had without a host, it may become the new norm for award shows. This year’s Oscars was a game changer and will likely influence award shows for many years to come.