HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Eddie Murphy has emerged as a top candidate to be the master of ceremonies for the 2012 Academy Awards in Hollywood, event officials say.
The decision could be announced as early as next week after a meeting of producers Brett Ratner and Don Mischer and Academy of Motion Pictures President Tom Sherak, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Rumors of Murphy's nomination surfaced during the weekend on a Web site that covers black comedians and entertainment.
The reasoning behind Murphy as host is to return to the more popular single-comedian host format. The recent two-actor or two-comedian duos haven't been as successful with viewers.
However, Murphy has not been featured live on stage in about 25 years and his film career hasn't been on fire as of late, aside from voice work in the "Shrek" series.
Other names being considered for the role include Billy Crystal and Jerry Seinfeld.
