Leslie Jones to Host 2020 Emmy Awards Nominations

Presenters Laverne Cox, Josh Gad, and Tatiana Maslany

The Television Academy announced today that Leslie Jones, star of Supermarket Sweep on ABC, has been tapped to host the announcement of the 72nd Emmy Awards nominations on Tuesday, July 28, at 8:30 a.m. PT/11:30 a.m. ET. Presenters for the event, which will be streamed live on Emmys.com, include Laverne Cox, Josh Gad, and Tatiana Maslany.

The ceremony has been reimagined as a virtual event this year due to production restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Television has played an integral role in navigating these unprecedented times and has brought us together as we remain apart," said Frank Scherma, Television Academy chairman and CEO. "We are honored to have these groundbreaking actors, producers and comedians announce this year's Emmy nominees—whose extraordinary work has been vital to the evolution of the television landscape this season."

Leslie Jones is a two-time, Emmy-nominated actress, comedian and host of ABC's game show revival Supermarket Sweep. Her one-hour comedy special, Leslie Jones: Time Machine, can currently be streamed on Netflix. She voiced the villain, Zeta, in Angry Birds 2 and is next slated to appear on the big screen in Coming to America 2.

Laverne Cox is an Emmy- winning producer, Emmy-nominated actress, documentary film producer and prominent equal rights advocate. She is slated to star in the upcoming Netflix drama Inventing Anna. Cox debuted in the groundbreaking role of Sophia Burset in the critically acclaimed Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black and is the first trans woman of color to have a leading role on a mainstream scripted television show.

Josh Gad is a Grammy Award-winning producer, actor, comedian and singer. Gad created, produced and starred in the 2020 Apple TV+ show Central Park and recently launched the YouTube series Reunited Apart, which reunites various movie casts via video conference. Some of his most notable roles include Olaf in Disney's franchise Frozen and Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Broadway musical The Book of Mormon.

Emmy Award winning and Golden Globe nominated for her starring role in Orphan Black, Tatiana Maslany played multiple versions of the same character for five seasons on the BBC America series. She garnered three Emmy nominations and a win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The role also earned her two Critics' Choice Awards and a SAG Award nomination, among other accolades. She is now starring opposite Matthew Rhys in HBO's series Perry Mason.

The 72nd Emmy Awards will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, who will also serve as executive producer for television's biggest night. The show will be broadcast Sunday, Sept. 20, (8:00-11:00 p.m. EDT/5:00-8:00 p.m. PDT) on ABC.