Kenan Thompson Will Host 2022 Emmy Awards Next Month

The accolades and achievements keep coming in for Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson!

NBC and the Television Academy have both announced that the longest-running cast member of Saturday Night Live will host the 74th Emmy Awards next month. The ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. The show will air live on Monday, September 12 on NBC and stream online on Peacock.

“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,” Thompson said in a written statement. “Like all TV fans, I can’t wait to see the stars from my favorite shows.”

This latest news comes the same week that Thompson was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The award-winning actor and comedian was memorialized with the 2,728th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday, Aug. 11. The location of Thompson’s star is located at 6627 Hollywood Boulevard.

Executive Vice President of Live Events for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, Jen Neal stated, “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. We know he’ll bring an excitement and professionalism to the Emmy Awards that a show of this stature deserves.”

Thompson was first seen as part of Nickelodeon’s all-kid sketch comedy series All That. Immediately, he and fellow cast member, Kel Mitchell, had their own spinoff series titled Kenan and Kel in 1996. Seven years later, Thompson joined NBC’s Saturday Night Live in 2003. The actor is the longest-running cast member of the show which is approaching its 50th season on air. He has been there for 19 seasons.

The Good Burger actor received two Emmy Award nominations in 2021 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his self-titled comedy series, Kenan, and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Saturday Night Live. He also received two Emmy nominations back in 2018 and in 2020 in the supporting actor category for SNL, as well as an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics in 2018 for the SNL song “Come Back, Barack.”

Kenan Thompson Will Host 2022 Emmy Awards Next Month