MTV Recruits Sebastian Maniscalco as VMAs Host

MTV went in a spurprising direction for host of the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards. The network picked comedian and actor Sebastian Maniscalco, who made the announcement during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Tuesday night. Maniscalco is the latest comedian to host the awards show.

The 45-year-old comedian also starred in a minute-long sketch released by MTV, in which he made fun of his lack of familiarity with today’s artists. When his robot began listing them, he was clearly confused. He thought Cardi B might be a “spice or a supplement,” though Billie Eilish is a boy and wondered if “the Italians are breaking into hip-hop” when Childish Gambino was brought up.

“We’re thrilled to have the incredibly talented Sebastian Maniscalco as this year’s VMA host,” Bruce Gillmer, exec producer of MTV VMAs, said in a statement to Deadline. “Sebastian is on fire right now and his comedic spin on relatable topics will make this year’s show truly unforgettable.”

Maniscalco has filmed four Comedy Central stand-up specials and recently released Stay Hungry for Netflix. He was named Billboard’s 2018 Comedian of the Year and is now on his You Bother Me tour. Maniscalco also published his memoir Stay Hungry last year.

As an actor, Maniscalco played Johnny Venere in Peter Farrelly’s Green Book. He also had roles in The House, The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature, Cruise and Tag. He also has a role in Martin Scorsese’s next movie, The Irishman, which will be released on Netflix later this year.

The 2019 MTV Video Music Awards will be the first held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and will air live for the first time across all time zones on Monday, Aug. 26. MTV has yet to announce the nominees or the recipient of this year’s Video Vanguard Award.

MTV did announce that the broadcast will include the “Stan Cam,” a picture-in-picture feature that will let viewers at home see what their favorite artists are doing during the commercial breaks. Followers on Twitter will vote for which artist they want to see during breaks.

“We wanted to give them something they haven’t had before and connect them to what they want to see the most,” Jacqueline Parkes, CMO and executive VP of digital studios for MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo, told Variety in April. “It’s as much a marketing case as much as business case, to create an integrated fan experience.”

Last year’s show did not have a host and saw Jennifer Lopez receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. Camila Cabello’s “Havana” won Video of the Year, while Post Malone’s “Rockstar” won Song of the Year. Cardi B took home Best New Artist, while Cabello won Artist of the Year.

Photo credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for HFA