Colin Jost is getting a solo anchoring job.
The co-lead of “Saturday Night Live’s” long-running “Weekend Update” will headline the 2024 White House Correspondents Dinner, the journalism organization announced Friday. The annual dinner and roast is slated to take place on April 27.
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Saturday, April 27 in Washington, D.C.
“Colin Jost knows how to make Saturday nights funny, and I am thrilled Colin will be live from the nation’s capital as the headline entertainer for this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” said Kelly O’Donnell, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association and NBC News Senior White House Correspondent. NBC also broadcasts “SNL.”
Jost started writing for “SNL” in 2005 and has been the co-anchor of “Weekend Update,” along with Michael Che, since 2014.
Jost is stepping onto tricky terrain. The White House Correspondents dinner can be a tough gig, with jokes landing differently due to the heavy political atmosphere. Stephen Colbert and Larry Wilmore are among the comedians whose remarks proved controversial, though recent headliners such as Trevor Noah and Roy Wood, Jr. seem to have fared well. The night’s comedian typically pokes fun at the various media outlets in the room, along with the President of the United States, who often attends.
“Weekend Update” is a satirical newscast during which Jost and Che lampoon the week’s big events and headlines, often lampooning top politicians. Jost and Che have led special editions of “Update” broadcast from the Republican and Democratic National Conventions that were broadcast on MSNBC.
Jost has won five Writers Guild Awards, two Peabody Awards and has been nominated for 14 Emmy Awards for his writing on “SNL.” He also has written the memoir, “A Very Punchable Face.”
“His sharp insights perfectly meet this remarkable time of divided politics, and a presidential campaign careening toward a rematch. His smart brand of comedy and keen observation will turn up the heat on the national news media and across the political spectrum. A night of laughs and reflections as our dinner honors freedom of the press as a cornerstone of American democracy,” O’Donnell said. “I am beyond excited to welcome one of NBC’s brightest stars to one of Washington’s greatest traditions.”
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