Jimmy Fallon, America's #1 late-night talk show entertainer, has been named host of the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards, set to air on NBC live coast-to-coast from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017 from 8-11 p.m. ET (5-8 p.m. PT). The Emmy- and Grammy Award-winning Fallon, who's hosted The Tonight Show since February 2014 and has since guided the classic franchise to dominance in every key ratings category, previously won rave reviews for his performance as host of the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards. The Tonight Show is currently nominated for two Emmys this year, including Outstanding Variety Series Talk. Here's what NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt had to say in a statement.

"We're thrilled to announce Jimmy as host of The 74th Annual Golden Globes. This is the most spontaneous and uninhibited award show on television, and Jimmy's playful, disarming comedic brilliance makes him the ideal host to enhance and elevate the sense of fun and irreverence that's made the Golden Globes one of the premier events of the entire broadcast year."

January's three-hour Golden Globes telecast on NBC will serve as the official kick-off to the 2017 awards season. The 2016 telecast of the Golden Globes averaged a 5.5 rating, 16 share in adults 18-49 and 18.5 million viewers overall in "live plus same day" ratings from Nielsen Media Research, making it the #1 entertainment telecast on the broadcast networks for the week of Jan. 4-10 in the key 18-49 demographic. Despite facing a high-rated NFL playoff overrun, the 2016 Globes telecast retained 95% of the prior year's 18-49 rating and 96% of the year-earlier total-viewer result. Over the last four years, the Globes has delivered the event's four most-watched telecasts since 2007. Here's what Lorenzo Soria, President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, had to say in his statement.

"Jimmy Fallon is an exceptionally talented and dynamic entertainer and we couldn't be more excited that he'll be hosting the 2017 Golden Globes. His charm, wit and incredible spontaneity will play exceedingly well both to everyone at the show as well as the millions watching at home from around the world."

Additionally, the 2016 telecast saw an upward trend in digital and social media statistics. On Twitter, beginning three hours before the live show and through 10 minutes after it ended, 4.4 million Golden Globe Awards-related tweets were sent globally, resulting in a total of 1.2 billion views. On Facebook, more than 9 million users globally participated in a total of 19 million interactions on show day, which included posts, comments and likes. Here's what Allen Shapiro, CEO of dick clark productions, had to say in his statement.

"Jimmy Fallon's brand of comedy will continue the tradition of cutting-edge excitement viewers have come to expect from the host of the Golden Globes."

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon remains the dominant force in late night, leading all other competitors in every key measure - adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers. In fact, The Tonight Show has won 46 of 46 weeks to date versus the competition in adults 18-49 and the last 45 in a row in total viewers. With The Tonight Show, Fallon has expanded the boundaries of late night to play to his strengths and has been headlining with hilarity ever since.

The #1 show in late night always offers more laughs and fun, with everyone being invited to the party. Each night viewers are in store for an hour full of unexpected, innovative comedy with celebrity guests and creative music-oriented bits. Due to Fallon's massive popularity and creative prowess, The Tonight Show's groundbreaking videos often quickly become viral sensations. With 11 million subscribed and more than 5.6 billion video views, The Tonight Show is the most subscribed and viewed late-night channel on YouTube, and also ranks #1 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. With Fallon's truly welcoming style and on-point pop culture awareness, it's easy to see why fans love to end their day with The Tonight Show.

Fallon began his TV career with Saturday Night Live in 1998 and spent six successful years on the show. In 2009, he returned to NBC to host Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a show that consistently garnered attention for its viral videos, celebrity games and A-list guests. Nominations for the Golden Globes will be announced Monday, Dec. 12. Winners are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Produced by dick clark productions in association with the HFPA, the Golden Globe Awards are viewed in more than 236 countries worldwide and are one of the few awards ceremonies to include both motion picture and television achievements.