Stephen Colbert, the comedian whose 11-year run as host of "The Late Show" was defined in part by his sharp criticism of President Donald Trump, has been honored with an anti-censorship award from the Before Columbus Foundation . The award comes two months after CBS ended his program in May 2026, citing economic reasons—a decision that Colbert and others have openly questioned .

The American Book Awards Recognition

Colbert was named among the recipients of the 47th annual American Book Awards, announced on Wednesday, July 29, by the Before Columbus Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Oakland, California, that champions diversity in U.S. literature and culture .

The "anti-censorship" prize, which Colbert shares with prominent independent bookseller Mitchell Kaplan—founder of Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida—will be presented at a ceremony on September 26 at the University of California, Berkeley campus . Longtime Grove/Atlantic publisher Morgan Entrekin and Roger Malina, executive editor of the academic journal Leonardo, received editor/publisher awards .

A Legacy of Political Satire

The award carries particular weight given the circumstances surrounding the end of Colbert's CBS tenure. When the network announced the cancellation in May, it removed from the airwaves one of Trump's most prominent and persistent late-night critics . The show, which had been a staple of American late-night television since 2015, was shuttered in a changing media landscape .

Colbert's run on "The Late Show" was marked by his willingness to take on political figures, particularly Trump, through sharp monologues and satirical commentary. His approach had made him a defining voice in political comedy—and a frequent target of criticism from the right .

The Cancellation Controversy

The cancellation announcement followed Colbert's criticism of a $16 million settlement between CBS parent company Paramount and Trump over a "60 Minutes" interview edit . Colbert had told his audience he was "offended" by the deal, which he sarcastically referred to as a "big fat bribe" .

CBS executives maintained the cancellation "is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," adding it was "not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount" . Colbert and others have publicly questioned this explanation .

Other Honorees

The American Book Awards also honored a range of literary works, including Nicholas Boggs' biography "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 .

"The American Book Awards were created to provide recognition for outstanding literary achievement from the entire spectrum of America's diverse literary community," the foundation's announcement reads, noting there are "no quotas for diversity" and that the winners list "simply reflects it as a natural process" .

The ceremony will take place less than two weeks before the 2026 Emmy Awards, where "The Late Show" is nominated for nine awards .