The Oscars, once again in search of cultural relevance after last year’s ceremony hit record viewership, has a host again. Three, in fact.

Amy Schumer, Regina Room and Wanda Sykes are in final negotiations to host the 94th Academy Awards next month, according to six sources with knowledge of the talks. The three comedic actresses come to the gig with varying levels of expertise, including stints at the MTV Movie Awards (Schumer in 2015) and BET Awards (Hall in 2019). Sykes also had her own talk show, which ran from 2009 to 2010, and hosted ceremonies including the GLAAD Media Awards. The news was reported earlier by Variety.

Will Packer, who was hired in October to produce the Oscars telecast, explored several unconventional ideas for structuring the show, including the possibility of pairing two hosts for each hour. Until this weekend, Packer was also in talks to add actor Jon Hamm as the fourth Oscars host, and invitations have also been extended to previous hosts, including Chris Rock and Steve Martin. Martin was sued for the role alongside his “Only murders in the buildingco-stars Selena Gomez and Martin Short. But that plan was scuttled due to scheduling conflicts.

Schumer, Hall and Sykes will take on one of the most high-profile jobs in town, and also one of the most guarded. Hosting the ceremony was once considered a feather in the hat by top comedians like Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg. But the Oscars have gone hostless for the past three years, which began out of expediency when Kevin Hart walked out of the 2019 ceremony after refusing to apologize for jokes and tweets deemed homophobic.

Since then, the academy has instead asked stars to simply open the show, including the comedic trio of Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph at the 2019 Oscars, as well as Regina King, who delivered a serious monologue at the top of last year’s ceremony. These launch spots have proven easier to book, as many stars are still wary of the time commitment and potential backlash that a solo hosting gig can bring. But without a host, there’s less opportunity for the show to produce viral, talked-about moments like the star filled selfie taken by host Ellen DeGeneres in 2014.

And in an era of dwindling television ratings, the Oscars need all the buzz they can get: This year’s show is considered a watershed moment by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that votes on the Oscars. and recently opened an expensive museum in Los Angeles. After last year’s edition saw record ratings, the academy looked for new ways to catch the eye, including a contest allowing viewers to vote on their favorite film of the year. This winner, which will be announced during the telecast, offers a potential spot for blockbusters like ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ which failed to make the best picture run when nominations were unveiled this week. last.

The academy is about to officially announce the hosts Tuesday on “Good Morning America.” The 94th Academy Awards will take place on March 27.

Brooks Barnes contributed report.