Producers want “his infectious energy and relatable humor to kick off” awards season
By Charmaine Y. Rodriguez
Comedian and actor Jo Koy will be hosting the Golden Globes on January 7 and will probably make history as the first one of Filipino descent who will do so.
“We are thrilled to have Jo host the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards and bring his infectious energy and relatable humor to kick off Hollywood’s award season,” said Helen Hoehne, Golden Globes president, in a statement released Thursday. “We know Jo is bringing his A-game.”
“I’ve stepped onto a lot of stages around the world in my career, but this one is going to be extra special. I’m so excited to be hosting the Golden Globes this year,” said Koy in a statement. “This is that moment where I get to make my Filipino family proud.”
To recall, Korean-American actress Sandra Oh became the first Asian-American to host the show in 2019. Oh rose to fame when she played Dr. Cristina Yang in Grey’s Anatomy.
Koy, for his part, saw last year the launch of his move, Easter Sunday, which became the first big studio movie with an all-Filipino ensemble.
He has come a long way from his modest beginnings performing at a Las Vegas coffee house. The comedian, who pulls inspiration from his family, specifically his son, sells-out arenas and theaters across the world, his website reads.
In 2017, Koy broke a record for the most tickets sold by a single artist at 23,000 tickets and 11 sold-out shows at The Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu, it added. In response, the mayor’s office in Honolulu proclaimed November 24th as “Jo Koy Day.”
The performer continued his record breaking streak by being the only comedian to sell out 6 shows at The Warfield in San Francisco. He then broke the attendance record at Club Regent Event Centre in Winnipeg with 4 sold-out shows.
In 2019, Koy sold-out 5 shows at the San Diego Civic Theatre, the most consecutive sold-out shows for a comedian. He recently became the only comedian to sell 17,000+ tickets, over 30 shows (in one year) at the Brea Improv.
Koy received the “Stand-Up Comedian Of The Year” award at the 2018 Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. He has had four highly rated and successful comedy specials on Comedy Central and Netflix. His 2019 Netflix special, Comin’ In Hot is currently streaming world-wide. Koy is on a mission to educate the masses on how to raise a millennial, the intricacies of Filipino traditions, and more.
The 81st Golden Globes will be the first major broadcast of awards season, with a new home on CBS.
The Globes had long been one of the highest-profile awards season broadcasts, second only to the Oscars. Before the pandemic, it was still pulling in around 19 million viewers.
But rocked by one controversy to another, its viewership had consistently declined since then.