Andy Samberg to Host the 2009 MTV Movie Awards

MTV announced this morning that Andy Samberg will host the 2009 MTV Movie Awards:

Fresh off his record-breaking album Incredibad, SNL star Andy Samberg is set to host the eighteenth annual MTV MOVIE AWARDS, premiering LIVE on MTV, Sunday May 31st from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA. This is Samberg's first time hosting the awards show, while Emmy Award® winning producer Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Apprentice) returns for the third year as executive producer. With the legendary golden popcorn up for grabs in such unconventional categories as "Best Kiss," "Best Villain," and "Best Action Sequence," the 2009 MTV MOVIE AWARDS promises more over-the-top moments and stand-out musical performances.

"Andy's connection with the MTV audience is so strong...it's electric," said Stephen Friedman, General Manager of MTV. "The Lonely Island's digi-shorts are genius. We can't wait to see what subversive take he'll have on our audience's favorite movies of the year. We, like Andy's many fans, are thrilled he's decided to grace MTV with his unique talent."

"I'm super excited to host the movie awards," said Samberg. "I grew up watching the show and a lot of the past hosts are heroes of mine. Plus my friends and I were writers for the show prior to working at SNL, so it will be a sweet and satisfying homecoming. I can't wait to act really important."

Samberg joins the ranks of past hosts such as Ben Stiller, Jimmy Fallon, Mike Myers and Justin Timberlake to name a few. The celeb-filled event is MTV's bold nod to the typical awards shows celebrating the year's best in movies,. Hailed for clever, one-of-a-kind film parodies, sexy lip-locking moments (from the likes of Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen), and outrageous acceptance speeches (Mike Myers' ode to Austin Powers with a mojo-induced dance number), the MTV Movie Awards has produced some of the most unforgettable and outrageous moments in award show history.

Samberg, along with his Lonely Island partners Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, have recently released their first full-length album, "Incredibad," which was released by Universal Republic Records on Tuesday, February 10th. The album quickly became the first comedy album to hold the title as the top selling album on iTunes. "Incredibad" features favorites as well as new musical creations featuring a diverse arsenal of guest-artists including hip hop impresario T-Pain, Grammy®-winning superstar Norah Jones, The Strokes' Julian Casablancas, and comedic legend and Tenacious D-veteran, Jack Black. In addition, Samberg is currently starring in his fourth season as a cast member on "Saturday Night Live." Samberg, and SNL writers and sketch directors Schaffer and Taccone, are best known for their innovative SNL Digital Shorts which have re-invigorated the series. The trio's most praised shorts -- "D**k in a Box" and "J**z in My Pants" -- are currently reigning over Hulu.com, and are among the Top five selling videos on iTunes. The three have also served on the writing teams for two previous MTV MOVIE AWARDS.

With a diverse range of comedic talents, Samberg has emerged as a captivating and hilarious leading man in both television and film. Samberg starred in his feature debut in Hot Rod and will next be seen in I Love You Man for Paramount Pictures which will be released March 20, 2009. Additionally, Andy will lend his vocal talent in the upcoming film "Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs. Prior to joining "Saturday Night Live," Samberg performed stand-up comedy in both New York and Los Angeles for seven years.

Nominees for the 2009 MTV MOVIE AWARDS will be announced in the spring. The official 2009 MTV MOVIE AWARDS site launches on March 16.

Mark Burnett serves as Executive Producer for the 2009 MTV MOVIE AWARDS. Audrey Morrissey is Co-Executive Producer. Lee Rolontz is Executive Producer for MTV, Garrett English is Executive in charge for MTV and Jane Mun serves as Producer. Robin Reinhardt-Locke is Celebrity Talent Executive.