Vote for the Best Late Night Host!
We enter Week 2 of voting for the Yahooies!, Yahoo TV’s awards honoring the best of the 2014-15 TV season (including summer shows), with the Best Late Night Host category.
And the nominees are…
Jimmy Fallon, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
The secret to Fallon’s success is, of course, his ability to get celebrities to do insanely fun things that they’d never feel comfortable enough to do anywhere else. It’s easy for him because he can’t contain his enthusiasm — he has to do it with them — and the stars now know that their efforts will be rewarded. See: his “Wheel of Musical Impressions” with Christina Aguilera (nearly 40 million views on YouTube), his “Lip Sync Battle” with Tom Cruise (more than 12 million views), and his “Box of Lies” with Nicole Kidman and “True Confessions” with Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn (both with roughly 4 million views). Also, he covered Salma Hayek in golden retriever puppies, making “Pup Quiz” the TV game we’ve most wanted to play since PLINKO. — Mandi Bierly
Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Kimmel Live!
In an era dominated by nice-guy talk show hosts, thank God we have Jimmy Kimmel to cut through all the B.S. and pick up the torch of caustic cynicism left by the departing Dave Letterman. Kimmel’s recurring “Mean Tweets” and “Lie Witness News” bits remind us that not everyone in the world is so nice… or so bright. And he still manages to crank out just as many viral-video sensations as his competitors. — Dave Nemetz
David Letterman, Late Show With David Letterman
Letterman’s final season hosting the Late Show found him operating at peak power. He knew he was heading for the final lap, and like the race-car fan he is, he calculated his speed (with his jokes) and control (with his interviewing) to out-pace competitors many years his junior. — Ken Tucker
John Oliver, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Last Week Tonight host didn’t have to find his own church to make us devout believers in his weekly HBO news round-up. But it definitely doesn’t hurt. That stunt is just one of Oliver’s brilliant achievements since leaving The Daily Show and striking out on his own, appearing towards the top of a list that already includes his interview with Edward Snowden and encouraging scandal-plagued FIFA head Sepp Blatter to step aside. Oliver’s not just reporting the news — he’s making it as well. — Ethan Alter
Jon Stewart, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday… and even harder to say goodbye to late night hosts we’ve followed for 16 years. At least Stewart made his last Daily Show hurrah a boisterous one, gleefully ribbing guests (and off-screen pals) like Paul Rudd and Denis Leary, commenting with heart and humor on the important events of the day, and in general proving why he’s been our most trusted named in faux-news since 1999. — EA
Related: Vote for the Character You Love to Hate!
Related: Vote for the Best Sketch!
Winners will be announced the week of Sept. 14.
