SNL Announces New Season 50 Hosts and Musical Guests
Saturday Night Live (SNL) has announced the hosts and music guests for the first five episodes of season 50.
Returning on September 28, the upcoming SNL lineup includes stars like Jean Smart, Stevie Nicks, and Chappell Roan.
Hacks star Jean Smart will host the season premiere with Jelly Roll as the musical guest. This follows Smart’s recent Emmy win for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series,” her third win for the series. The following week, comedian Nate Bargatze will host for the second time with musical guest Coldplay, who has taken the SNL stage seven times.
JEAN SMART HOSTING THE FIRST EPISODE OF SNL WHICH MEANS SHES MOST LIKELY GOING TO BE NOMINATED FOR A GUEST ACTRESS EMMY AND WE KNOW HER TRACK RECORD WITH COMEDY EMMYS pic.twitter.com/FH65oQx1OF
— JWalk (@TVTalkWithJWalk) September 18, 2024
On October 12, Ariana Grande will return to the series for her second appearance this year. She previously featured as a musical guest in March to promote her album, eternal sunshine. This time, the “7 Rings” singer will host, likely to promote the upcoming Wicked film, set to release in November. Stevie Nicks will serve as her musical guest, marking the icon’s first appearance in over 40 years.
Actor Michael Keaton will host on October 19 with musical guest Billie Elish. This will be the “Birds of a Feather” singer’s fourth appearance on the sketch-comedy. She previously joined host Kate McKinnon and sang a rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”
Comedian John Mulaney and popstar Chappell Roan were the final pairing announced. Mulaney has hosted on numerous occasions, but this will be Roan’s first time on the series. This episode will air on November 2, the last episode released before the 2024 election.
For the upcoming season, SNL has promoted Marcello Hernández, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker from featured players to the main cast. In August, comedian Punkie Johnson announced she was leaving after four seasons. Two other featured players, Molly Kearney and Chloe Troast, also announced their departure. Troast recently made headlines after revealing she wasn’t asked back. On Instagram, the comedian wrote, “It truly felt like home. But it wasn’t in the cards.”
Like most seasons, the series will welcome new cast members; Ashley Padilla, Emil Wakim, and Jane Wickline. Wickline is famous on TikTok and the stand-up comedian Wakim has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
With the upcoming 2024 presidential election, SNL fans have speculated about who will portray our country’s most prominent political figures. Maya Rudolph has made multiple appearances as Vice President Kamala Harris and many are eager for her return. While SNL nor Rudolph are yet to confirm these rumors, Deadline reported that production on Rudolph’s Apple TV series, Loot, has been pushed back for scheduling reasons.
Aside from this star-studded schedule, the SNL biopic, Saturday Night, is set for theatrical release on September 27. The film, featuring Rachel Sennott, Lamorne Morris, and Dylan O’Brien, details the chaotic first broadcast of Saturday Night Live.
For more information on the upcoming season of SNL, visit the official NBC website here.
