Four Oscar Telecasts Have Won Emmys as the Year’s Best Variety Program: Here’s What Happened on Those Shows

The Oscars have been televised every year since 1953, but only four times has the show received a Primetime Emmy as the year’s best variety program. It first happened in 1979, and again in 1988, 1991 and 2024. The name of category has changed over the years, but the intent has not — to honor the year’s best music/variety program.

The hosts of these four shows were, respectively, Johnny Carson, Chevy Chase, Billy Crystal and Jimmy Kimmel. Carson, Crystal and Kimmel are high on the list of the greatest Oscar hosts of all time, which is not incidental to the fact that these shows won.

Music plays a big part in the Oscars — and all four of these winning programs featured memorable musical performances. The 1979 show featured three of the very hottest stars in pop music at the time: Donna Summer, Olivia Newton-John and Barry Manilow. The 1988 show featured Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes, Little Richard and the unlikely teaming of Starship and Gloria Estefan.

The 1991 show featured Madonna, Reba McEntire and Jon Bon Jovi. The 2024 show featured two performances from Barbie. Billie Eilish and Finneas performed “What Was I Made For?,” which won the Oscar for best original song. Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson headlined an elaborate production number of “I’m Just Ken,” which stole the show.

We’ve prepared this list showing highlights of these four winning programs. One sad note: We can track the show’s declining ratings over the years. The first three shows here all drew more than 40 million viewers in the U.S., but the number had plummeted to 19.5 million viewers for the 2024 show as younger viewers stopped watching four-hour award shows, deciding the best parts will be everywhere and who cares about the rest? I see the logic, but that doesn’t mean I like it. These are the Oscars. Respect must be paid!

Here, let’s take a closer look at these four winning programs.