Drew Barrymore to Host the 74th National Book Awards, Oprah Winfrey to Deliver Remarks

“It is an absolute honor to have Ms. Barrymore and Ms. Winfrey on one stage to celebrate the power of exceptional literature,” the National Book Foundation says

Drew Barrymore and Oprah Winfrey are helping to honor some of the year's best writing.

Barrymore will host the 74th National Book Awards ceremony and benefit dinner, the National Book Foundation announced on July 25. Special guest Winfrey will deliver remarks at the ceremony. 

“Throughout their careers, Drew Barrymore and Oprah Winfrey have each demonstrated their enduring belief that books have the power to change readers’ lives—by opening doors, sparking conversations, and building community,” the foundation's Chair of the Board of Directors David Steinberger says in a statement. “This belief echoes the mission of the National Book Foundation to ensure that books have a prominent place in our culture.”

Established in 1950, the National Book Awards is one of the United States' most prestigious literary honors. Presented by the National Book Foundation, the prize annually recognizes outstanding writing across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature and young people’s literature. Previous winners of the award are now mainstays in the American literary canon, including Ralph Ellison and Louise Erdrich.

The awards ceremony has also featured an array of celebrity hosts, including Nick Offerman and Padma Lakshmi, throughout the years.

Barrymore—deemed a "voracious reader" and "champion for authentic storytelling" by the foundation—is widely known for her extensive career as an actress, producer and entrepreneur. Recent projects include the Netflix comedy Santa Clarita Diet, which she produced and starred in, and The Drew Barrymore Show, which has been renewed for a fourth season. She is the author of memoirs Little Girl Lost and Wildflower and the lifestyle book Rebel Homemaker: Food, Family, Life, co-written with Pilar Valdes. In 2021, Barrymore launched her magazine Drew, a lifestyle publication dedicated to “people, places, products and ideas that shine,” states its website.

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Winfrey is also a principal figure in the literary world. The esteemed multimedia personality and philanthropist founded Oprah’s Book Club in 1996, which has since featured over 100 selections by authors ranging from Colson Whitehead to Michelle Obama. Her work for education, including donations towards the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program at Morehouse College and initiatives for academically gifted students, have furthered a mission toward accessible learning. Winfrey was also awarded the 50th Anniversary Gold Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters at the 1999 National Book Awards ceremony. The foundation states that Winfrey’s book club, along with her magazine and roles in book-to-screen adaptations, have been “instrumental” in reaching a wide audience of readers.

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“It is an absolute honor to have Ms. Barrymore and Ms. Winfrey on one stage to celebrate the power of exceptional literature,” the National Book Foundation says.

The National Book Awards ceremony and benefit dinner will take place on November 15 in New York.

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