Kenan Thompson to host 2020 White House Correspondents' Dinner
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is pivoting back to laughs in 2020. A year after featuring Hamilton historian Ron Chernow as its keynote speaker, organizers of the annual event announced Tuesday that Saturday Night Live veteran Kenan Thompson will host this year’s dinner, and he’ll be getting an assist from previous host Hasan Minhaj.
“Kenan and Hasan are two of the most engaged and engaging entertainers in America. I’m thrilled they’ll help us celebrate the role of a free press in our democracy,” White House Correspondents’ Association president Jonathan Karl said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to a lively evening honoring the most important political journalism of the past year.”
It’s a busy time for Thompson. He recently landed his own NBC sitcom The Kenan Show while still staying on at SNL, where he’s performed for 17 years. He will give the main comedic speech at this year’s dinner, while Minhaj will also perform as a “featured entertainer.”
Three new awards will be presented at the dinner: the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability, the Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage by Visual Journalists, and the Katharine Graham Award for Courage and Accountability, named for the legendary Washington Post publisher.
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