Well, this is a switch. Rather than announce the new host of the Oscars a month before the broadcast, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has decided to end the suspense and announce the host six months early.

And the Oscar hosting job goes to... Ellen DeGeneres!

Yep, she's the host. Oscarcast producer Laura Ziskin announced tonight that Ellen will host the 79th award presentation, which will take place on February 25, 2007. "I can already tell she is going to set the bar very high for herself and therefore for all of us involved in putting on the show," said Ziskin in the press release. "Now all we need is a lot of great movies."

Ellen responded with her usual aplomb: "There's two things I've always wanted to do in my life. One is to host the Oscars. The second is to get a call from Laura Ziskin. You can imagine that day's diary entry." Remembering how well Ellen's done hosting the Emmys, this seems like a pretty good choice. At least it's not Whoopi Goldberg again.