Sara Bareilles, Nia Drummond, Sterling Elliott, Renée Elise Goldsberry and DJ Questlove Set To Perform At New York Public Radio’s 2026 Gala
The Annual Fundraiser Will Take Place November 17 at the Glasshouse in NYC
Ina Garten to Receive Cultural Advocacy Award and The Apollo to Receive the Community Icon Award
NEW YORK – October 29, 2026 New York Public Radio (NYPR), one of the country’s most-trusted media brands and home to WNYC, WQXR, Gothamist and numerous podcasts streaming in the US and around the world, today announced details of its annual fundraising Gala, taking place Tuesday, November 17 at The Glasshouse in New York City.
This year’s event theme, “Make Waves,” celebrates journalism, culture and conversation by bringing together the voices, talent and ideas that make waves far beyond New York. Honorees will include Ina Garten, New York Times bestselling author and host of the podcast Happy Hour with Ina Garten, who will receive the Cultural Advocacy Award, and Michelle Ebanks, CEO of The Apollo Theater, will accept the Community Icon Award in celebration of the iconic institution’s more than 90-year legacy as a cultural cornerstone and global epicenter of Black artistry, creativity and innovation.
The Gala will include performances by Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award-winning singer, songwriter, musician and actress Sara Bareilles; singer, songwriter, pianist and historian Nia Drummond; celebrated cellist and Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient Sterling Elliott; and Tony and Grammy Award-winning actress and singer Renée Elise Goldsberry (“Angelica Schuyler” in Hamilton).
The evening will also include a separately ticketed after-party to give WNYC and WQXR fans another chance to mingle with their favorite hosts. The after-party will feature a special DJ set by Oscar and Grammy Award winner and New York Times best-selling author, DJ Questlove.
Tickets for both the Gala and after-party are available here.
The ‘Black Tie optional/Gala Chic’ gala will include a cocktail reception, seated dinner, and after-party. This year’s gala serves as the organization’s largest fundraising event of the year, acknowledging NYPR’s vital work, its impact across its many communities, and the generous supporters who make it all possible. Past gala performers and hosts include Stephen Colbert, Richard Kind, Ben Platt, Annaleigh Ashford, Conrad Tao, Noah Galvin, David Remnick, Seth Meyers, Samantha Bee, Roy Wood, Jr., Aidy Bryant, John Turturro, The Kronos Quartet, Wynton Marsalis, Cynthia Nixon, Renee Fleming, Shoshana Bean, and Brian Stokes Mitchell.
ABOUT NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO
With an urban vibrancy and a global perspective, New York Public Radio (NYPR) produces innovative, critically acclaimed programming for local and national broadcast, on-demand and live-streaming audiences. NYPR’s brands include WNYC, WQXR, WNYC Studios, Gothamist, New Jersey Public Radio and The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space. The WNYC newsroom and Gothamist produce award-winning local journalism for New York City, New Jersey and the surrounding region. WQXR, the city’s only all-classical radio station, broadcasts new and archival classical recordings and makes live performances from New York City’s esteemed performance venues available to all. WNYC Studios is a premier producer of on-demand and national broadcast audio, and home to some of the industry’s most impactful award-winning podcasts and national radio shows, including “Radiolab,” “On the Media” and “The New Yorker Radio Hour,” among others. The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space is NYPR’s intimate street-level broadcast studio and live event space. Further information about programs, podcasts and stations may be found at www.nypublicradio.org.