Ego Nwodim, a comedian, is getting ready to host the 41st annual Film Independent Spirit Awards on February 15, 2026, at the Hollywood Palladium. She will use her sharp wit to honor independent films and TV shows. In a new interview with the Hollywood Reporter, the former Saturday Night Live star talked about how excited she is without a set plan for after SNL. She said she is just “chasing enjoyment.”
Nwodim, who left SNL after seven seasons, is following in the footsteps of Aidy Bryant, who hosted the Spirit Awards in 2024 and 2025. She just joined the Barbershop series on Amazon Prime Video and talked about how important it is to take on unexpected jobs like this one. Nwodim didn’t talk to Bryant because he wanted the event to feel new and exciting. This was the first Spirit Awards at the Palladium since 2014.
The first-generation Nigerian American comic, who grew up in Baltimore and went to USC, likes indie films that are “emotionally powerful or leave a lot of questions unanswered.” “Her time on SNL and a recent solo show at Lincoln Center are shaping how she hosts, mixing cultural knowledge with fearless humor. Brenda Robinson, the acting president of Film Independent, praised Nwodim’s “genius comedic timing” for the funny day that honored independent creators.
