NEW YORK – This year's National Book Awards 75th anniversary ceremony won't only be a tribute to literature. Expect some laughs and some music, too.
The National Book Foundation announced Thursday that Kate McKinnon of “Saturday Night Live" fame will host the Nov. 20 event at Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan, and Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer-musician Jon Batiste will perform. Awards judges will announce winners in five categories, with finalists including Salman Rushdie and Percival Everett.
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McKinnon herself is not a nominee, but she is an author. Her children's book, “The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science,” was published earlier this month.
“I’ve been an invested reader my whole life and am so honored to be part of this event that celebrates the life-changing power of books while recognizing some of today’s most brilliant storytellers,” McKinnon said in a statement. “I was lucky to grow up surrounded by books, devouring everything from Pippi Longstocking to a comprehensive manual on proper iguana care, and this access to stories and perspectives helped shape my worldview and understanding of what was possible."
Batiste, whose “Beethoven Blues” album comes out just days before the awards ceremony, said in a statement that books are “sacred sources of refuge, insight and humanity, shaping the world as we know it.”
“I am excited to take part in recognizing world class artistry, creativity and the power of prose,” he added.
Musical guests are a rarity at the National Book Awards, although celebrities have hosted before: Steve Martin served as emcee in the late 1990s and early 2000s.