Kenan Thompson to Host 74th Annual Emmy Awards: 'Ridiculously Exciting'

Mary Ellen Matthews/NBCU Kenan Thompson

Kenan Thompson will host the 2022 Emmy Awards!

NBC and the Television Academy announced on Tuesday that the Saturday Night Live star, 44, will host the 74th annual celebration of all things TV.

Thompson said of his first time emceeing the ceremony: "Being a part of this incredible evening where we honor the best of the television community is ridiculously exciting, and to do it on NBC — my longtime network family — makes it even more special."

The comedian also shared what he's most looking forward too, noting, "Like all TV fans, I can't wait to see the stars from my favorite shows."

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"Kenan is well-regarded as one of funniest, likeable and accomplished performers of the last two decades and his tenure on Saturday Night Live speaks for itself," Executive Vice President of Live Events for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming Jen Neal said in the announcement. "We know he'll bring an excitement and professionalism to the Emmy Awards that a show of this stature deserves."

Maarten de Boer/NBCUniversal/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

A six-time Emmy Award nominee, Thompson received two nominations in 2021 for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for his comedy series Kenan, as well as a nod for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for SNL. The comedian previously received two Emmy nominations in 2018 and 2020 in the supporting actor category for his work on SNL.

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Thompson won an Emmy for outstanding original music and lyrics in 2018 for the SNL song "Come Back, Barack," and received a nomination in the same category in 2017 for co-writing "Last Christmas" from the popular "Jingle Barack" SNL music video.

Thompson joined Saturday Night Live in 2003 and holds the record for the longest-tenured cast member in the show's history. He also has extensive hosting experience most recently emceeing the 2021 People's Choice Awards and 2022 NHL Awards.

RELATED: Kenan Thompson Hopes to Stay at SNL for at Least 20 Seasons: 'Why Should I Ever Have to Leave?'

Last month, the nominees for the awards show were announced.

TV shows Succession, Ted Lasso and The White Lotus are leading this year's pack of nominees.

Squid Game also did well with 14 nominations, including one for outstanding drama series. It's the first non-English language show to be nominated in that category.

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Among the nominations, Thompson's own SNL added nine nominations to its record-breaking 306 overall nominations since it premiered in 1975.

Among the nominations for the weekly sketch show are Kate McKinnon for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series and Bowen Yang for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series. Jerrod Carmichael, who hosted an episode filled with jokes about the Oscars' slap, was also nominated in the guest actor category.

The show was also nominated for outstanding variety sketch series, a category it has won for the past five years. The sketch show also got nods for production design, directing, music direction, short form nonfiction series and sound mixing.

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This year's Emmy Awards will take place at the Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles on Sept. 12. Beginning at 8 p.m. ET, the ceremony will be broadcast on NBC and, for the first time, stream on Peacock.