Film Independent has enlisted comedians/Broadway-starring duo Nick Kroll and John Mulaney to host the Independent Spirit Awards ceremony, which takes place February 25, and will be broadcast on IFC.
Though both Kroll and Mulaney are known separately (Kroll mostly for Kroll Show and Mulaney for his fantastic standup), they also of course make a divine curmudgeonly duo, as seen in their long-lived Oh Hello routines, which were recently translated to play-format, debuting in 2015 at the Cherry Lane Theatre, and subsequently touring and landing on Broadway. (Oh Hello is currently running through January 22 at New York’s Lyceum Theatre.) Unfortunately, the two have the annoying tendency of also being real people, so there’s no telling whether or not Gil Faizon and George St. Geeland will be making an appearance at the ceremony. (Though, fine, real-Mulaney and real-Kroll are great, too.)
Josh Welsh, the president of Film Independent, said of the news:
From film to television to Broadway, Nick Kroll and John Mulaney have been almost everywhere – and now their world domination will be complete when they host the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards. We couldn’t think of two smarter, funnier people to host our show, and look forward to having them on the beach on Saturday, February 25.
As Indiewire points out, Kroll also appeared this year in Loving, which has received two Independent Spirit Award nominations — for Best Director for Jeff Nichols and Best Actress for Ruth Negga.
The award ceremony — beyond having the tendency to (gasp!) honor films and artists who very much deserve recognition — seems to be on a winning streak with their hosts. Last year likewise served as a platform for two of today’s best comedians — Kate McKinnon and Kumail Nanjiani.