This year, the Emmys are being hosted by Grammy-nominated comedian Nate Bargatze.
And while award show hosts tend to touch on a wide range of subjects, one topic that Nate won’t be joking about is politics.
He explained the decision in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, pointing to today’s tense political environment.
Nate said, “I know there’s heartbreaking stuff that’s been happening right now, but I want this night to be an escape and I think that’s why I was brought on.”
“I think a lot of people are watching, I know they watch my stand-up for that reason, so I just don’t wanna break that trust that I have in them, and just make the night be a fun night,” he added.
His comments come just days after the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which Nate called “the saddest thing in the world.” Still, he made it clear that the decision wasn’t influenced by his death, saying, “We were never really gonna do anything [political] to begin with.”
Politics isn’t the only subject he plans to avoid tonight, either. Nate also intends to steer clear of any jokes that may be offensive to celebrity guests.
He explained, “We’re not trying to just go be mean to everybody. I want it to be a fun, silly night that everybody can have kind of an escape.”
According to Entertainment Weekly, Nate’s monologue will only include “lighthearted ribbing.”
“Basically, I don’t want to, when I see them afterwards, it to be weird,” Nate shared. “I want them to be fun and good-natured and them be good sports about it.”
We’ll see how everything unfolds when the Emmys kick off at 8 p.m. ET. You can view our live coverage of the show here.