Stephen Colbert lands anti-censorship award after relentless Trump criticism on The Late Show

Stephen Colbert, whose 11-year tenure as host of The Late Show was largely defined by his public feud with President Donald Trump, has been honored with an "anti-censorship" award from a foundation established by author-playwright-publisher Ishmael Reed.Colbert was among the honorees of the 47th annual American Book Awards, announced Wednesday by the Before Columbus Foundation. The Oakland, California-based non-profit champions diversity in U.

S. literature and culture.The award arrives after CBS ended Colbert's program in May, a move that removed a high-profile platform for one of Trump's most prominent critics.

The network cited economic reasons, an explanation Colbert and others have publicly questioned.The foundation also recognized a wide range of literary releases, including Nicholas Boggs' Baldwin, a biography of James Baldwin; John Fugelsang's religious critique Separation of Church and Hate; and Adela Najarro's poetry collection Variations in Blue. Novelist-playwright Karen Tei Yamashita received a lifetime achievement prize.

People hold signs supporting Stephen Colbert outside the Ed Sullivan Theater ahead of the taping of the final episode of the The Late Show on May 21, 2026 (AFP via Getty Images)Colbert shares his anti-censorship prize with Mitchell Kaplan, founder of Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida, a top independent bookseller. Longtime Grove/Atlantic publisher Morgan Entrekin and Roger Malina, executive editor of the academic journal Leonardo, received editor/publisher awards.The foundation's announcement stated the awards "provide recognition for outstanding literary achievement from the entire spectrum of America’s diverse literary community."

It added that "The award winners range from well-known and established writers to under-recognized authors and first works. There are no quotas for diversity; the winners list simply reflects it as a natural process."