Here’s the Host & Musical Guest for Every ‘Saturday Night Live’ Season Premiere

When host Jean Smart and musical guest Jelly Roll take the stage at Studio 8H in New York for Saturday Night Live’s Season 50 opener on Saturday (Sept. 28), they’ll join a long and star-studded lineage. We took a look back to see who was booked as host and musical guest on the first episodes of every previous season of the show.

These are considered plum bookings: Viewers often make an extra effort to check out the first episode of a season. As a result, producers go all out to open the season with a strong episode. For SNL, that means booking a hot host and musical guest.

They have definitely done that this year. Smart is the reigning Primetime Emmy winner for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series (Hacks). Jelly Roll is the reigning Country Music Association winner for new artist of the year. Of note, this is the second time in four years that a country artist has been the musical guest on an SNL season opener: Kacey Musgraves got the gig in 2021. Before these two, no country artist had ever gotten this prize booking, just another sign of country’s higher profile these days.

Legendary comedian George Carlin was host of the first episode on Oct. 11, 1975. There were two musical guests that night — Billy Preston and Janis Ian — both of whom had had big recent hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

Steve Martin has hosted four season-openers, more than anyone else. Tom Hanks is in second place, having hosted two season-openers.

Ye (formerly Kanye West) has been the musical guest on three season-openers, more than anyone else. The Rolling Stones and Miley Cyrus are the only performers who were both host and musical guest on a season-opener.

If you’re ready to go back in time, here are the hosts and musical guests on the first episode of every SNL season.