1. Time 100 Gala
In 2019, the 15th annual Time 100 gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center once again recognized the year’s most influential people. Taylor Swift and Khalid performed for 300 guests, which included honorees Dwayne Johnson, Sandra Oh, Ryan Murphy, and Gayle King. Amazon Alexa, Cadillac, Citi, Johnnie Walker, and United Airlines sponsored the evening’s festivities. Next: April 22, 2020
Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Time
2. National Magazine Awards
The American Society of Magazine Editors presents the annual National Magazine Awards, more commonly known as the Ellies, to recognize outstanding achievements in the field. During the ceremony at Brooklyn Steel in 2019, 500 invited guests saw honors bestowed on outlets including National Geographic, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Wired, and GQ Style. New York magazine’s Adam Moss received the Magazine Editors’ Hall of Fame Award, which this year will be presented to Esquire’s former editor David Granger. Next: March 12, 2020
Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
3. The New Yorker Festival
The New Yorker Festival returned for the 20th year in 2019, once again bringing together a curated selection of some of the biggest names in news, politics, food, film, music, art, and popular culture for fascinating conversations with New Yorker editors. Throughout the festival, 20,000 attendees made their way to more than 50 panels, classes, screenings, discussions, and other events in venues throughout the city. Highlights included appearances from Nancy Pelosi, Paul Rudd, and Zadie Smith. Next: October 2020
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images for The New Yorker
4. National Book Awards
To recognize the year’s best literary achievements, the National Book Foundation created the National Book Awards, which celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2019. One-thousand guests attended last year’s ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street, where authors including Susan Choi (Trust Exercise), Sarah M. Broom (The Yellow House), and Arthur Sze (Sight Lines) won awards. Next: November 18, 2020
Photo: Courtesy of National Book Foundation
5. New York Women in Communications’ Matrix Awards
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Matrix Awards, which are presented to leaders who exemplify courage, excellence, and dedication to fostering the next generation of women in the industry. Held at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, the 2020 event will recognize honorees including NBCUniversal’s Linda Yaccarino, Adobe’s Ann Lewnes, and Citi’s Carla Hassan. MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski emceed the ceremony last year. Next: May 18, 2020
Photo: David DuPuy Studios
6. BookExpo
In 2019, more than 8,260 attendees made their way to the Jacob K. Javits Center for BookExpo, an industry trade show that attracts authors, publishers, librarians, retailers, and distributors. The event included educational sessions and networking opportunities, as well as a new partnership with the New York Rights Fair, a stage dedicated to independent publishers, and the launch of UnBound, a show-within-a-show to connect booksellers with non-book products to help expand the scope of their businesses. Next: May 28-20, 2020
Photo: Courtesy of Book Expo
7. PEN World Voices Festival
New to the list
Celebrating writing from across the globe, the PEN World Voices Festival, hosted by PEN America, draws 150,000 attendees to 70 literary-focused events all over the city. Founded in 2005 as New York’s first international literary festival, the gathering has since expanded to include a second festival in Los Angeles. Programming ranges from lively debates to intimate conversations, and this year’s lineup is set to feature appearances by Nigeria’s Ben Okri, Canada’s Margaret Atwood, Japan’s Mieko Kawakami, and the U.K.’s Zadie Smith. Next: May 4-9, 2020
Celebrating writing from across the globe, the PEN World Voices Festival, hosted by PEN America, draws 150,000 attendees to 70 literary-focused events all over the city. Founded in 2005 as New York’s first international literary festival, the gathering has since expanded to include a second festival in Los Angeles. Programming ranges from lively debates to intimate conversations, and this year’s lineup is set to feature appearances by Nigeria’s Ben Okri, Canada’s Margaret Atwood, Japan’s Mieko Kawakami, and the U.K.’s Zadie Smith. Next: May 4-9, 2020
Photo: Beowulf Sheehan/PEN America
8. Freedom of the Press Awards Dinner
New to the list
Since 1995, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has presented the Freedom of the Press Awards to leaders committed to upholding the First Amendment. Some 750 guests attended last year’s event at the Ziegfeld Ballroom, which included the announcement of a $10 million investment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to expand the committee’s pro bono legal services. The 2020 ceremony, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the organization and will be presented by Microsoft, will honor attorney Ted Boutrous, The Miami Herald’s Julie K. Brown, the Clooney Foundation’s Amal Clooney, and The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer. Next: May 5, 2020
Since 1995, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has presented the Freedom of the Press Awards to leaders committed to upholding the First Amendment. Some 750 guests attended last year’s event at the Ziegfeld Ballroom, which included the announcement of a $10 million investment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to expand the committee’s pro bono legal services. The 2020 ceremony, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the organization and will be presented by Microsoft, will honor attorney Ted Boutrous, The Miami Herald’s Julie K. Brown, the Clooney Foundation’s Amal Clooney, and The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer. Next: May 5, 2020
Photo: Rob Rich/SocietyAllure.com
