Kathy Griffin to host the 41st Daytime Emmy Awards livestream

The Daytime Emmy Awards have been broadcast on television for 40+ years, but for the first time in history this will not be the case. Instead, the ceremony will be streaming live online. The Academy is hoping to bring the show to prominence and have chosen none other than the Grammy Award-winning comedian Kathy Griffin to host the 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony this weekend on June 22nd.

“I am beyond thrilled to be hosting what I’m told is the most important television event of the year. Knowing that over 100 million people from every corner of the planet will be watching, I will try to keep my nerves at bay and deliver a great show,” Griffin said in a statement. “I can only hope that at the end of the evening, critics and fans alike will compare it to the experience they once had watching Neil Armstrong take man’s first step on the moon. My only regret is knowing that this epic evening will distract millions of viewers from enjoying this year’s World Cup. I apologize to FIFA.”

The Academy’s goal is to raise enough hype about the ceremony so that they can get a broadcast deal in 2015. The Chairman of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Malachy G. Wienges, stated that Griffin “is a beloved figure in the community and we know that she will have audiences laughing the night away as we honor the brightest stars in our industry on a global stage.”

Although Kathy has been chosen to host the show, she does have a tainted history with the Academy.

In 2007, when Kathy received two Emmy Awards for her show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-list she made some controversial remarks. After accepting the award Griffin closed with the statement “Suck it, Jesus. This award is my god now!” The Academy refused to air her comment during the telecast. Even though there may have been some seemingly offensive statements made, it’s all water under the bridge now, as the Academy is trusting her as the host of the awards show. Griffin has recorded 20 stand-up specials and has co-hosted CNN’s coverage of New Years Eve so she is certainly qualified for the job. Hopefully Griffin’s unique brand of ruthless comedy can give the award show the push it needs to pull in eyeballs and make it back to television.

The 41st Daytime Emmy Awards will be streaming live on June 22nd EST at 5pm PT.