Gearing up for awards shows provide some of the most exciting moments in television. What stars are showing up? What are they wearing? Who deserves to win what? Those questions are all well and good but where the show ultimately ends up — and how it’ll be judged — comes down mostly to one person: the host.

Make no mistake — a host of an awards show is arguably the most important part. They set the tone of the show from the start and they’re skills are required whenever the boring categories kick in. The easy route has always been to go with a vanilla comedian but every now and then, a radical change in hosting gets thrown into the loop. These “different” choices can hit the mark and leave a lasting impression.

Just take Jimmy Fallon, who rocked as this year’s host of the Primetime Emmys. I’m not sure what audiences expected but it was one of the most fun nights at an awards show in a long, long time. Fallon may not have seemed like the ideal choice but he convinced naysayers otherwise, looking completely relaxed and having a ball. But how about some other unconventional hosts? Test your knowledge on some other risky choices who may or may not have panned out.

Thoughts? Comment below.

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