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Nate Bargatze, a stand-up comedian, will host the 77th Emmy Awards on September 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. He will bring his deadpan charm to the biggest night in television. Cris Abrego, chair of the Television Academy, greeted the CBS announcement with excitement and commended the comedian's broad appeal.
"Nate is one of the hottest comics in the business with a remarkable and hilarious brand of comedy that deeply resonates with multi-generational audiences around the globe," Abrego said in the official statement.
Nate Bargatze, who has achieved considerable fame through his Netflix specials and notable Saturday Night Live appearances, in which viewers may know him as George Washington in a number of widely shared sketches, marks another career milestone with this hosting chance.
The 46-year-old Nashville native, who is well-known for his sardonic observations about marriage, parenthood, and daily life, fills in for father-son team Eugene and Dan Levy. Nominations are usually made weeks before the Emmy Awards, which honor excellence in television programming across a wide range of categories and genres.
Nate Bargatze’s rise as comedy’s ‘Nice guy’
Nate Bargatze's path to the Emmys is a gradual ascent through the comedy industry. The comic, who was born in Tennessee, developed a unique style that led The Atlantic to name him "The Nicest Man in Stand-Up" during the beginning of his career in the early 2000s.
His breakthrough came in 2017 with Netflix's "The Standups," followed by three successful specials on the streaming platform, including his most recent, "Your Friend, Nate Bargatze," released in December. His comedy success extends beyond streaming, with Pollstar reporting he sold over 1.2 million tickets in 2024, making him the year's top-earning comedian.
"It's a huge honor to be asked to host such an iconic awards show and I'm beyond excited to work with CBS to create a night that can be enjoyed by families around the world," Bargatze said about his new role.
Nate Bargatze’s appointment as Emmy host isn’t just a nod to his rising popularity — it’s a smart play for a ceremony trying to keep things light, likable, and (most importantly) drama-free. His comedy leans all the way into family-friendly territory, steering clear of controversy and instead serving up clean, relatable takes on everyday life—the kind of stuff your mom, your uncle, and your Gen Z cousin can all laugh at without side-eyes.
For anyone who didn’t catch his stand-up specials, you might recognize Bargatze from his two standout stints on Saturday Night Live, once in 2023 and then again in 2024. He made a splash both times, especially with those viral sketches as George Washington trying to explain why Americans use feet and inches and why turkeys are a thing. His deadpan delivery and perfectly awkward timing made the absurdity land in all the right ways.
His selection for the Emmys also points to a bigger issue: the show’s been having a bit of a hosting identity crisis. While the Oscars are locking in Conan O’Brien for 2026 and the Golden Globes scored with Nikki Glaser’s roast-meets-charm vibe, the Emmys have been speed-dating hosts over the years. From Anthony Anderson to Kenan Thompson to Cedric the Entertainer, they’ve tested out all kinds of comedic flavors with mixed results.
With Nate Bargatze, they’re clearly going for someone steady, smart, and sneakily hilarious. He may not be the loudest comic in the room, but he’s got that quietly confident energy that could finally give the Emmys a hosting groove they can stick with.
Why Nate Barzgate?
The Television Academy is clearly hoping to keep its ratings streak alive with this year’s Emmys, and their latest move says it all: bring in Nate Bargatze. Last year’s ceremony, hosted by Eugene and Dan Levy, pulled in nearly 7 million viewers, up a whopping 54% from the previous year. Now, the Academy seems to be doubling down on the “broad appeal, no drama” formula.
Enter Nate Bargatze, the Southern stand-up with a clean set and a vibe that’s often compared to Jim Gaffigan or Jerry Seinfeld. He’s observational, inoffensive, and charming in that "your funniest friend's older brother" kind of way. Born in 1979, he lands in that sweet spot between Gen X and Millennials, a perfect middle child to speak to everyone in the room, whether they grew up with cable or TikTok.
It's safe to assume Nate Bargatze's safe, no-frills style is a win for the network. No chance of a viral scandal or edgy monologue getting sponsors nervous. In other words, he's the anti-Bill Burr. But don’t mistake “safe” for “boring.” Nate Bargatze knows how to work a crowd and keep things moving, which is exactly why award shows are leaning more on comedians these days. They can riff, recover, and roll with the chaos better than most actors.
This year’s Emmys arrive at a tricky time for TV. Streaming is everywhere, network loyalty is basically extinct, and audiences are more scattered than ever. But if anyone can bring those fragmented eyeballs together for one night of glitz and jokes, it might just be the guy who made middle-aged dad jokes cool again.
The Academy’s betting on Nate Bargatze to thread the needle: classy enough for industry vets, relatable enough for casual viewers, and just funny enough to make people forget how long the show is.
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We’ll see if he can pull it off, but at least for now, it looks like the Emmys are playing the smart game.
Saturday Night Live airs live on NBC every Saturday at 11:30 p.m. ET.
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