NEW YORK, NY — The Authors Guild Foundation today announced the host and presenters for its annual gala on Monday, April 20, 2026, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Comedian and Emmy Award-winning writer Josh Gondelman will host the evening, with Academy Award-winning writer and director Cord Jefferson and Emmy Award-winning television host and bestselling author Christian Cooper serving as award presenters. Actor and producer Dakota Johnson will serve as honorary chair.  

As previously announced, the evening will honor the extraordinary contributions of Percival Everett and Amy Tan, and former Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden. More than 400 writers, publishers, and supporters of the literary community are expected to attend.  

“This evening is about celebrating the power of writers—their ability to shape how we see the world, challenge us, and connect us,” said Deborah Wilson, Executive Director of the Authors Guild Foundation. “Bringing this community together to honor these remarkable voices, while also supporting the future of writing and literature, is what makes this night so meaningful.” 

Cord Jefferson will present the Baldacci Award for Literary Activism to Percival Everett. Jefferson’s feature debut, American Fiction (2023), adapted from Everett’s novel Erasure, earned five Academy Award nominations, with Jefferson winning for Best Adapted Screenplay. 

Christian Cooper will present the Preston Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community to Amy Tan. Cooper is the Emmy Award-winning host of Extraordinary Birder on National Geographic and the best-selling author of Better Living Through Birding. Host Josh Gondelman is known for his work on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Desus & Mero, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and is a frequent contributor to NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me.

Proceeds from the gala support the Authors Guild Foundation and the Authors Guild’s nationwide advocacy, legal, and educational programs that protect authors’ rights, combat censorship, and defend the freedom to read and write. 

The evening will be followed by an after-party sponsored by Spotify for Authors, with a limited number of tickets still available. 

For more information, please visit authorsguild.org/gala or contact Nikki Maniscalco at Gala@authorsguildfoundation.org.