Entertainment and sports reporter Chris Connelly has been chosen to welcome nominees, presenters and performers on the red carpet at Sunday's Oscar ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday.
Connelly's interviews with celebrity guests attending the 85th Annual Academy Awards — recently rebranded as simply the Oscars — will be heard by those watching the action live in the stands, as well as any viewers watching Backstage Pass on the official Oscar website or the official Oscars App.
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Connelly, a former MTV correspondent who currently works for ESPN and is a pop culture contributor for ABC News, replaces Entertainment Weekly Oscar columnist Dave Karger, who handled the job the last two years.