NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO’S ANNUAL GALA GAVE TRIBUTE TO VOICES ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT

The evening honored STEPHEN COLBERT & EVELYN MCGEE COLBERT, DAVID REMNICK, and DARREN WALKER

Hosted by SAG Award-winning actor RICHARD KIND, featuring Musical Performances by JON BATISTE, QUESTLOVE, BEN PLATT, ANA GASTEYER, and CONRAD TAO, and an appearance by MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV

Gala Attendees included AL ROKER, ALISON PILL, DEBORAH ROBERTS, LESLEY STAHL, MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT-ELECT BRAD HOYLMAN-SIGAL, BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT ANTONIO REYNOSO

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(November 19, 2025 – New York, NY) – Last night, New York Public Radio (NYPR)—home of WNYC, WQXR, and Gothamist—celebrated its “Stand with Public Media” gala, paying tribute to voices on the front lines of the First Amendment. The honorees were Stephen Colbert, host, executive producer, and writer of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and producer and arts advocate Evelyn McGee Colbert; David Remnick, Editor of The New Yorker; and Darren Walker, Former President of the Ford Foundation.

The gala raised $1.7 million and counting, from over 600 attendees, to support the vital work of WNYC, WQXR, and Gothamist in providing New Yorkers with trusted local, national, and international news, civic conversation, and cultural and classical music programming. Last night’s paddle raise and silent auction remain open.

The evening was rooted in WNYC’s bold fundraising message amid this year’s unprecedented defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting: “YOU CAN’T DEFUND THE TRUTH.”

NYPR President & CEO and Executive Chair LaFontaine E. Oliver said “Make no mistake, the elimination of federal funding was ABSOLUTELY meant to bring about an ending: the end of unbiased journalism, without fear or favor—the end of independent voices, who raise a mirror so we can see ourselves more clearly—and the end of mission-driven institutions and individuals who work to protect and advance human dignity. But if you’ve been listening to the radio lately, you know what we think about that! You can defund public media…you can cancel the grants, zero out the line-item, shut down the CPB. But you can’t defund the truth!”

Stephen Colbert said “Wherever we are in the world, on radio or streaming, our kitchens are still permanently tuned to WNYC. We make breakfast to Morning Edition. We make dinner to Marketplace, and if we find ourselves brushing our teeth to the sounds of Indian or Indonesian jazz gamelan, we know that’s New Sounds and we have stayed up past our bedtime.”

Evelyn McGee Colbert said “We are so grateful that New York Public Radio continues its mission of fostering curiosity and joy. There are fewer and fewer places where we can all meet outside of work, our home, and for us, New York Public Radio remains that vital third space. It informs us, it entertains us, and it unites us.”

David Remnick said “It’s a privilege to be in a room filled with people who are so deeply devoted to the free word, to freedom of the press, to fair recording of the news, and to rigorous argument and disagreement. As Stephen and others in this room have learned first hand, we live in a dark time, a threatening time. It’s moving to me to be anywhere in the same room with Mikhail Baryshnikov, and as Misha knows very well, when Vladimir Putin came to office…first, they came for the comedians. No kidding…We cannot kid ourselves about the era that we are living in. This is a test, a test, you could say, of the emergency broadcast system. This is a test of all of us in this room to stand up for what we say that we believe in. We’ve all been at dinners like this before…where we sing the song of freedom of the press. But right now is the time to show that we have backbone, endurance, and will not put up with the [expletive].”

Darren Walker said “It is easy, on any given day, in our country, to be depressed, dejected, disgusted, dismayed, by what we are confronted with on a daily basis…And we sometimes find ourselves challenged to find hope. And then we come to rooms like this. And we are reminded that there is hope and goodness in this country. And I love my country. My belief in this country is unwavering, not failing. But that does not blind me to the reality of what is before us. An existential threat to this country we love. And what is going to save this country we love? Our institutions, like New York Public Radio. And so if you love America, if you want America to be great, support institutions like New York Public Radio.” 

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NOTABLE ATTENDEES

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