AceShowbiz -

Queen Latifah is handed the duty to lead the 18th Hollywood Film Awards. CBS announced on Friday, October 17 that the Oscar nominee would host the inaugural event which will be held at Hollywood Palladium on November 14 and broadcast live starting 8 P.M. ET.

"Queen Latifah is the real deal," said CBS' executive vice president of specials, music and live events, Jack Sussman in a statement. "She is a triple threat - she can act, she can sing, she can dance - she is beloved by audiences across multiple genres and she entertains millions of people every day."

Carlos de Abreu, founder and EP of the Hollywood Film Awards, added, "Queen Latifah is a world-class entertainer. From film and music to television, her humor, quick wit and ability to entertain live audiences make her the perfect choice to host the Hollywood Film Awards."

For her part, Latifah said, "I'm honored to be a part of such a legendary award show. The Hollywood Film Awards have been a staple in the awards season for years, and I'm excited to be the first host to bring them to television!"

Hollywood Film Awards traditionally kicks off awards season, handing out accolades to buzzy performances and films which are sometimes not even finished yet. But CBS is taking this event seriously, staging a half hour of red carpet coverage, two hours for the awards and an hour-long post show hosted by "CBS This Morning" newscasters Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell.