Stephen Colbert, whose 11-year tenure as host of “The Late Show” was marked by frequent commentary on politics, has received an “anti-censorship” award from the Before Columbus Foundation. The foundation announced the award on Wednesday as part of its 47th annual American Book Awards.
Colbert was among several recipients, sharing the anti-censorship prize with Mitchell Kaplan, founder of Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. The awards, presented by the Oakland, California-based Before Columbus Foundation, aim to recognize achievement across the diversity of American literature and culture.
CBS ended “The Late Show” in May, a decision the network attributed to economic reasons. Colbert and others have raised questions regarding this explanation. The program served as a prominent platform for Colbert's critiques of the Trump administration.
The American Book Awards also recognized a variety of literary works, including Nicholas Boggs' biography “Baldwin,” John Fugelsang's “Separation of Church and Hate,” and Adela Najarro's poetry collection “Variations in Blue.” Novelist and playwright Karen Tei Yamashita received a lifetime achievement award. Morgan Entrekin, publisher of Grove/Atlantic, and Roger Malina, executive editor of Leonardo, were honored with editor/publisher awards.