Look Who is Hosting the 84th Oscar Gala

Eddie Murphy

Actor/comedian Eddie Murphy, widely known for the Saturday Night Live comedy television show and the Beverly Hills Cop's movies, will host the 84th Academy Awards telecast, according to an announcement yesterday by the producers of the awards telecast, Brett Ratner and Don Mischer, at the the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences® in Beverly Hill, California.

The Academy Awards® for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Vine Highland Center, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Murphy earned an Oscar nomination in 2006 for his supporting role as James "Thunder" Early in the movie Dreamgirls. This will be Murphy's first time hosting the Oscars®.

I must admit that the name of Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy never crossed my mind as a possible host.  A few years back, I would have said, "Oh, no, he is a loose cannon." However, Murphy has, over the years, steadily honed his craft.  Thus, today, he seems like an excellent choice for host.

All told, movies in which he has performed have earned in excess of $7 billion worldwide during their theatrical releases, chief among them Beverly Hills Cop, The Nutty Professor and Shrek franchises. His performing career of three decades spans movies, television and the stage.

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Upcoming Tony Awards

Actor Neil Patrick Harris will emcee the 2009 Tony telecast Sunday, 7 June, live from Radio City Music Hall, NYC, to be broadcast live on CBS. This is the American Theatre Wing’s 63rd annual Tony Awards® ceremony.

A Special Tony Award® for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre will be presented to Jerry Herman, 77, who received Tony nominations for six of the seven Broadway shows he created (Milk and Honey, Hello, Dolly!, Mame, Mack & Mabel, The Grand Tour, and La Cage Aux Follies). He took home the trophy for both Dolly and La Cage. Herman says he will not be doing anymore musicals, but is trilled to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, because in his case, it has truly been a lifetime endeavor.

The Regional Theatre Tony Award® goes to Signature Theatre, Arlington, Virginia.

Shows with most nominations: Billy Elliot, The Musical 15; Next to Normal 11; Hair 8; Shrek, The Musical 8; Mary Stuart 7; and The Norman Conquests 7.

List of nominees: http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/nominees/index.html

Animated Features Submitted for Oscars®

Only 12 animated features were submitted for possible nomination for the upcoming Oscars. I had hopes that we might get five animated features nominated for the 80th Academy Awards® in February, but the rules state, "A maximum of three films can be nominated in a year in which the field of eligible entries numbers at least 8 but fewer than 16." Oh, well. Maybe next year.

Feature motion pictures submitted in the Animated Feature category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.

The 12 submitted features are:

ALVIN and the CHIPMUNKS **
AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE COLON MOVIE FILM FOR THEATERS #
BEE MOVIE
BEOWULF **
MEET THE ROBINSONS #
PERSEPOLIS **
RATATOUILLER #
SHREK the THIRD +
THE SIMPSONS MOVIE + +
SURF'S UP#
TEKKON KINKREET (a Japanese fable from U.S.-born director Michael Arias) #
TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) #

** Have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying run. The submitted features must fulfill the general release requirements and meet all of the category’s other qualifying rules before they can advance in the voting process.
# Available on DVD.
+ DVD releasing 13 November.
+ + DVD releasing December.

The 80th Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, 22 January 2008, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding motion picture achievements of 2007 will be presented on Sunday, 24 February 2008, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT.