Mark Wahlberg to host Kids' Choice Awards

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Actor/producer Mark Wahlberg is to serve as host of the 27th annual Kids' Choice Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, Nickelodeon said Thursday.

The show, which presents fan-voted prizes to favorites in film, television and music, is to air live March 29 from USC's Galen Center.

"We are thrilled to welcome a superstar like Mark Wahlberg as he takes the helm as our master of ceremonies at the biggest kid event of the year," Russell Hicks, Nickelodeon's president of content development and production, said in a statement. "We can't wait for him to host and have lots of slime-filled fun with Hollywood's biggest stars and our audience."

Wahlberg's film credits include "Lone Survivor," "2 Guns," "Ted," "The Other Guys," "The Fighter" and "The Departed."