Neil Patrick Harris is set to host this year's 87^th annual Academy Awards, which will air live on ABC on Sunday, February 22, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Though this is Harris' first time hosting the Oscars, he has had a lot of experience hosting other awards shows, including the Tony Awards and the Emmy Awards.

In a release just put out by the Acadmey of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Oscars co-producers Zadan and Meron stated, "We are thrilled to have Neil host the Oscars... We have known him his entire adult life, and we have watched him explode as a great performer in feature films, television and stage. To work with him on the Oscars is the perfect storm, all of his resources and talent coming together on a global stage," conveying their enthusiasm for working with Harris.

Harris himself couldn't be more excited. He stated, "It is truly an honor and a thrill to be asked to host this year's Academy Awards... I grew up watching the Oscars and was always in such awe of some of the greats who hosted the show. To be asked to follow in the footsteps of Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres, and everyone else who had the great fortune of hosting is a bucket list dream come true."

It remains to be seen whether Harris will do better than Ellen DeGeneres, who was successful during the March 2 awards. Variety reports that the March 2 ceremonies attracted the biggest Oscar viewership in 14 years, according to the Academy. It drew an average audience of 45.4 million total viewers, delivering a 13.7 rating among adults 18-49 years of age.

With that in mind, Harris has an awful lot on his plate. However, he doesn't seem to mind at all. He has been keeping himself quite busy - according to Deadline, Harris is currently co-starring in David Fincher's "Gone Girl," which has topped the box office for the past two frames. He also just finished a Tony-winning turn on Broadway on "Hedwig And the Angry Inch."

Now, Harris can also cross hosting the Oscars off of his bucket list.