Kenan Thompson to Host 2021 PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS

NBC and E! announced TODAY that actor and comedian Kenan Thompson will host the 2021 "People's Choice Awards" celebrating all forms of entertainment, chosen entirely by the people.

This year, Thompson received his first-ever "People's Choice Awards" nominations and is up for both the 2021 "Comedy TV Star" and "Male TV Star" for his work on "Saturday Night Live." The 2021 "People's Choice Awards" will air simultaneously on both NBC and E! on Tuesday, December 7 at 9pm ET/PT from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, CA.

See the full list of nominations here.

"I can't believe I get to host the PCAs!! I'm beyond blessed to be nominated twice and part of two more nominations for SNL. Good times indeed!," said Kenan Thompson. "Congrats to all the nominees - we already won!!"

"Kenan's versatility and commitment to creating quality entertainment that has sparked laughter for over three decades has made him one of the most endeared comedians of our time," said Jen Neal, Executive Vice President, Live Events, Specials & E! News, NBCUniversal Entertainment Television and Streaming. "We cannot wait to welcome him to the 'People's Choice Awards' stage where his charisma and humor will undoubtedly bring fans to their feet."

Thompson recently started his 19th season on "Saturday Night Live" as the show's longest-running cast member where he has showcased many noteworthy impressions including Rev. Al Sharpton, Charles Barkley, Steve Harvey, and David Ortiz. He has also played memorable characters such as "Weekend Update" correspondent Jean K. Jean, "Cinema Classics" host Reese De'What, "Black Jeopardy" host Darnell Hayes and Diondre Cole, the disruptive singing talk show host on the wildly popular sketch "What Up With That."

Thompson also stars in and executive produces the NBC comedy "Kenan," which will return for its second season next year.

This past year, Thompson received two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for "Kenan" and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for "Saturday Night Live". Thompson previously received two Emmy nominations in 2018 and 2020 in the supporting actor category for his work on "Saturday Night Live." Thompson received an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics in 2018 for the "Saturday Night Live" song "Come Back, Barack," and received a nomination in the same category in 2017 for co-writing "Last Christmas" from the popular "Jingle Barack" "Saturday Night Live" music video.

His past projects include Netflix's Adam Sandler film "Hubie Halloween," starring opposite Samuel L. Jackson in "Snakes on a Plane," "Wieners" and "The Magic of Belle Isle" with Morgan Freeman. Other film credits include "Fat Albert," "D2: The Mighty Ducks," "Good Burger," "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle," "Brother Nature, "Heavyweights," "My Boss's Daughter," "Barbershop 2," "Going in Style" and "They Came Together." Thompson will next be seen in Paramount's "Clifford the Big Red Dog" and Disney+'s "Home SWEET HOME Alone."

The 2021 "People's Choice Awards" will air simultaneously on both NBC and E! for the first time on Tuesday, December 7 at 9:00pm ET/PT from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, CA. "Live from E!: The 2021 People's Choice Awards" will kick off the night with a red carpet special at 7:00pm ET/PT on E!.

Voting is currently open for the 40 categories across movies, television, music, and pop culture through Wednesday, November 17 at 11:59pm ET. Fans can either vote online at www.votepca.com or on Twitter.

Additionally, votes cast on Turbo Tuesday, November 9 will count twice, equaling up to a maximum of 50 votes per day, per category, per voting method. Votes will be aggregated and counted through our third-party vendor Telescope.

Photo Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews