Jerrod Carmichael Will Host the 2023 Golden Globes

Returning after a pandemic and a period of significant upheaval within the organization that presents them, the 2023 Golden Globes will return to NBC on January 10 in particularly good hands: newly announced host Jerrod Carmichael. 

An Emmy winner for writing his groundbreaking comedy special Rothaniel earlier this year, Carmichael will host the awards from the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. “His comedic talents have entertained and thrilled audiences while providing thought-provoking moments that are so important in the times we live,” said Helen Hoehne, President of the HFPA, in a statement that accompanied the announcement. “Jerrod is the special kind of talent this show calls for to kick off the awards season.”

This year’s Golden Globe nominations will be announced on Monday, December 12, in a live event hosted by George and Mayan Lopez.  Following months of speculation about whether NBC would agree to air the awards again, and whether nominated talent would even agree to attend, signs in Hollywood seem to be pointing toward a comeback. And with award that are unique to the Globes, like the ever-fascinating comedy/musical categories, it’s hard not to speculate about the potential chaotic energy a Globes comeback could bring to the awards race. 

Now we can extend some of that speculation to Carmichael, a compelling and idiosyncratic presence on any stage, but also — like many greats awards show hosts— very skilled at leading a live audience. In an interview with VF’s David Canfield on Little Gold Men earlier this year, he reflected on his standup special Rothaniel, in which he came out as gay for the first time, and the embrace of fear that led him to make it. “I like thorny topics,” Carmichael said. “It’s exciting. It’s alive. I’ve been able to talk about things that I was afraid of, but I wasn’t able to say my biggest fear. My stand-up, I looked for danger everywhere I could.”

He also, fascinatingly enough for an Emmy winner who will now host an awards show, expressed some amazement that people could be fans of awards season. But then he quickly came around the idea that he could be one of those people, too: “I guess I’m a person who likes awards season. It causes so much anger and disdain in me that I don’t consider myself liking it. I’m realizing that hate is love, and so I’m like, “Oh, I guess I do like awards season.”