Beloved Late Night Host To Be Honored at Public Media Gala

New York public radio station WYNC will be honoring late-night host Stephen Colbert at a fundraising initiative on November 18, 2025 in New York, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The fundraising campaign comes in light of the federal government’s funding cuts for public media.

The WYNC Gala

The gala, called “Stand With Public Media,” will honor both Colbert and his wife, Evie. They will be receiving the Cultural Advocacy Award. David Remnick, editor for “The New Yorker,” will also be honored with the Media Innovation Award, as will Ford Foundation president Darren Walker with the Philanthropy Leadership Award.

Actor Richard Kind, known for his work on Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” and Netflix’s “Big Mouth,” will host the event. Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award-winner Ben Platt will perform, as will Broadway-star Annaleigh Ashford, actor Noah Galvin, and classical pianist and composer Conrad Tao. Questlove will DJ the after-party.

Stephen Colbert’s Recent Award Wins

Getty

The Cultural Advocacy Award isn’t the first award Colbert is taking home in 2025. “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” took home its first Emmy Award during the Creative Arts Emmys on September 7, 2025 when Jim Hoskinson won for Outstanding Directing For A Variety Series. “The Late Show with David Letterman” won nine Emmy Awards during its run.

A week later, at the 77th Primtetime Emmy Awards ceremony, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” won another impressive award: Outstanding Talk Series. The award win came a few months after CBS officially canceled “The Late Show,” with the show’s final episode set to air in May 2026.

Late-Night’s Tumultuous Time

Getty

Colbert wasn’t the only late-night host to face cancelation this year. Jimmy Kimmel, an outspoken supporter of Colbert in the wake of his show’s termination, also found his show pulled from the air. Two ABC affiliates, Nexstar and Sinclair, opted not to air “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after the late-night host joked about certain responses to Charlie Kirk’s untimely passing. ABC followed suit, deciding to temporarily pause the show across all markets.

Although Colbert’s “The Late Show” is done for good, Kimmel’s show returned to the air a week later and continues to air weekdays on ABC.

The post Beloved Late Night Host To Be Honored at Public Media Gala appeared first on EntertainmentNow.