Eddie Murphy to host the Oscars ceremony next February

Eddie Murphy will host the 84th annual Academy Awards, according to its producers Brett Ratner and Don Mischer, the BBC News reported.

The actor and comedian will be carrying out the role for the first time at the ceremony, which takes place at the Kodak Theatre in LA on 26 February.

The last comic to host the show alone was Jon Stewart in 2008.

The announcement of the 50-year-old's involvement marks a return to the single-host format the show has employed most often over the past two decades.

Pairs of actors hosted the two most recent Oscar shows.

Anne Hathaway and James Franco fronted the 2011 event and Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin hosted last year.

Don Mischer said having one host again would help streamline the show, which sometimes lasts more than three hours.

Eddie Murphy was nominated for the best supporting actor Oscar in 2006 for Dreamgirls but lost out to Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine.

He's also appeared in films like Nutty Professor, Doctor Dolittle, Beverly Hills Cop and voiced Donkey in Shrek.

The nominations for next year's Oscars are revealed on 24 January.