Color us surprised: LL Cool J will be serving as the host for the Grammy Awards. In case you couldn't tell, that was in jest: The rapper and actor has served as the emcee for four consecutive years now, dating back to the 2012 rendition of the awards ceremony. This will mark the tenth time overall that Cool J takes hosting duties (from Billboard).
"As both a Grammy-winning recording artist and an accomplished actor, LL Cool J's wide range of talent, dynamic personality and charismatic energy make him the perfect choice to host the Grammy Awards," read a statement from Recording Academy president Neil Portnow. "His unique expertise allows him to set the right tone for the show and connect with everyone -- from his musical peers to fans at home. We are honored to have him back."
Our sarcasm aside, it's tough to blame the Recording Academy for going back to LL Cool J. Of every ceremony in the last 20 years, every one of the Top 3 has been hosted by the emcee. The beginning of his current streak was the most watched ceremony ever, with nearly 40 million viewers tuning in. Admittedly, that huge total was due to the very recent death of Whitney Houston and interest in how the Grammys would mark the event. That said, Cool J hasn't exactly struggled to keep a steady stream of viewers. The numbers dropped off significantly during 2013, with 28.38 million watching, but that was still the second highest total since the '80s. Then during 2014, Cool J brought a slight boost again, up to 28.51 million viewers, according to Rolling Stone.
If he can keep those numbers steady during 2015, expect him to keep on hosting until he stops by his own volition. Ceremonies such as The Academy Awards have always put emphasis on hosts, as popular masters of ceremonies such as Billy Crystal often bring higher viewership. The performances at The Grammys have a more significant impact than at film award shows, but why take a chance when you've got a good thing going?
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