Stephen Colbert receives anti-censorship award after 11-year 'Late Show' run

KiMi Robinson, USA TODAYWed, July 29, 2026 at 11:04 PM UTC

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Since CBS pulled the plug on "The Late Show," Stephen Colbert has been accumulating recognition from his peers – and now he has another award to add to his résumé.

The 62-year-old comedian and TV personality was announced as one of the recipients of the Before Columbus Foundation's 47th annual American Book Awards on Wednesday, July 29. He will be recognized with the anti-censorship award at the Sept. 26 ceremony on the University of California, Berkeley campus.

Mitchell Kaplan, founder of the more than 40-year-old Florida independent bookstore Books & Books, will also receive the prize.

The awards, chosen by a committee of writers, recognize "outstanding literary achievement from the entire spectrum of America’s diverse literary community" published over the previous year. "Mumbo Jumbo" author and poet Ishmael Reed, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, founded the nonprofit in 1976.

Nearly two weeks prior to the Northern California ceremony, Colbert is expected to be in Los Angeles for the 2026 Emmy Awards, where his "The Late Show" is nominated for nine awards.

CBS announced the end of "The Late Show" in July 2025. The network's parent company, Paramount Global, described the move as "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," which was "not related in any way to the show's performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount."

Critics, though, alleged the cancellation was meant to appease President Donald Trump. Paramount Global was at the time going through a merger with Skydance Media, which required approval from the Trump administration.

The cancellation also came not long after Colbert criticized Paramount for reaching a settlement with Trump after the president brought a defamation lawsuit related to a "60 Minutes" interview on CBS with Kamala Harris. On his show, Colbert called the $16 million settlement a "big fat bribe."

Colbert took aim at Trump administration before going off-air

As Colbert prepared to wind down his 11-year stint at the Ed Sullivan Theater in the spring, he continued to call out not only his employer but also federal officials. When CBS advised the show that Colbert's scheduled interview with Rep. James Talarico (D-TX) would trigger the FCC equal-time rule for the other Texas Senate candidates, Colbert did not shy away from criticizing what he characterized as an unprecedented directive.

In the Feb. 16 episode, Colbert noted that talk shows have usually been exempted from the equal-time rule, but in January, Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr issued new guidance dropping the blanket exception because some late-night and daytime talk shows are "motivated by purely partisan political purposes."

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"Well, sir, you're chairman of the FCC, so FCC you," Colbert said in a message aimed at Carr. "Because I think you are motivated by partisan purposes yourself. Sir, you smelt it 'cause you dealt it."

'Here to feel the news with you': Colbert's emotional last message to 'Late Show' viewers

Stephen Colbert's life after 'The Late Show': 'Lord of the Rings,' rare public appearances

"The Colbert Report" alumnus, a J.R.R. Tolkien superfan who is writing a new film in the "Lord of the Rings" franchise with his son, has made a few public appearances since his May 21 "Late Show" finale.

A day after "The Late Show's" finale, he stopped by a Michigan public access show to guest host because, as he joked, "It’s been an excruciating 23 hours without being on TV.”

Then in June, Colbert returned to the stage to celebrate his wife of 32 years, Evelyn McGee Colbert, stepping down as president of the New Jersey nonprofit organization Montclair Film.

Stephen Colbert was among the lineup of friends and loved ones who offered tributes to McGee Colbert, with the former late-night host serenading her with Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home to Me."

Colbert was also in attendance at the grand opening ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on June 18, which counted fellow late-night alumni Conan O'Brien and David Letterman among the star-studded crowd.

(This story was to include new information.)

Contributing: Brendan Morrow

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stephen Colbert receives anti-censorship award after 11-year 'Late Show' run

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