Ellen DeGeneres hosted the 86th Academy Awards, her second time as Oscars host.
On March 2, 2014, Ellen DeGeneres returned to host the 86th Academy Awards, marking her second time in this prestigious role. The ceremony became one of the most talked-about Oscars broadcasts in history, largely due to a star-studded selfie DeGeneres orchestrated with numerous A-list celebrities in the audience, which went on to become (at the time) the most retweeted post in Twitter history.
Her return to host the Oscars for a second time reinforced her standing as one of the most trusted and beloved hosts in American entertainment, and further cemented her legacy as a prominent openly gay figure occupying a central role at one of the world's most-watched cultural events.
The broadcast drew high ratings and widespread critical praise for DeGeneres's ability to blend comedy, warmth, and spontaneity, continuing to demonstrate how far LGBTQ+ representation had advanced in mainstream media since her groundbreaking coming out in 1997. Her repeated selection to host such a high-profile event underscored the entertainment industry's growing comfort with openly gay hosts in roles of major cultural visibility.