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Stephen Colbert Wins Anti-Censorship Award at Book Awards

7/30/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Stephen Colbert, former Late Show host, received the anti-censorship award from the Before Columbus Foundation on July 29, 2026.
He shared the prize with Mitchell Kaplan, founder of Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.
The award was presented at the foundation’s 47th American Book Awards in Oakland, California.
CBS ended Colbert’s 11-year Late Show run in May 2026, citing economic restructuring, which he questioned.

History

Historical Context

Stephen Colbert and Books & Books founder Mitchell Kaplan received the Before Columbus Foundation’s anti-censorship award during the 47th American Book Awards in Oakland, echoing a decades-long tradition of free-speech honors. Such awards date back to the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize in 1988 and the World Association of Newspapers’ Golden Pen of Freedom, first given in 1961, underscoring ongoing resistance to censorship.

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Story summary

Stephen Colbert, former Late Show host, received the anti-censorship award from the Before Columbus Foundation on July 29, 2026.
He shared the prize with Mitchell Kaplan, founder of Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.
The award was presented at the foundation’s 47th American Book Awards in Oakland, California.
CBS ended Colbert’s 11-year Late Show run in May 2026, citing economic restructuring, which he questioned.

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