Wayne Brady to Host Dramatists Guild Foundation’s 2026 Gala

Dramatists Guild Foundation (DGF) has announced that five-time Emmy Award winner and two-time Grammy Award nominee Wayne Brady will host the organization’s annual Gala on October 19, 2026, at Ziegfeld Ballroom.

Wayne Brady is a five-time Emmy Award-winning and two-time Grammy Award-nominated multi-hyphenate powerhouse. Across stage, television and music, Brady has built a career defined by versatility and showmanship. Most recently, Brady starred alongside Billy Porter in La Cage aux Folles at New York City Center. Directed by Robert O’Hara, the production marked a historic first for the classic musical with its first all-Black cast. He will next star in MS. BLAKK FOR PRESIDENT at Vineyard Theatre. His stage credits also include Lola in Kinky Boots, The Wiz in The Wiz, and Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, among others. Brady continues to host and executive produce the hit game show “Let’s Make a Deal,” and recently launched the What If?! podcast. A true entertainer, he has made his mark across stage and screen while championing mental health awareness, LGBTQIA+ advocacy and inclusivity.

As previously announced, the evening will honor Tony and Olivier Award-winning theatrical producer Sue Frost, Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright and DGF Board Member Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, and former DGF Board Member R. Patrick Morrow, who was instrumental in the organization’s financial planning.

This year’s Gala will celebrate dramatists whose words shape the American theater. DGF’s programs provide theater writers with the resources they need to continue creating, from emergency financial assistance and free writing space to fellowship opportunities. That support creates a ripple effect, helping writers persevere through life’s challenges so they can create the next generation of groundbreaking plays and musicals.

“DGF knows that when dramatists are given reliable access to resources, our society benefits from the stories they tell. Every show that has moved you to tears or laughter, or had you humming on the street, began with a theater writer. If we want theater to continue to be a part of our world, we need to support the creators behind it. Our Gala and this year’s incredible honorees are helping us provide year-round support so writers can keep writing,” says Rachel Routh, DGF Executive Director.

Sue Frost is a founding member of Tony Award and Olivier Award-winning Junkyard Dog Productions, which is dedicated to developing and producing new musicals. New musicals in development include The Heart, Freak the Mighty and 3 Summers of Lincoln as Executive Producers. Previous Broadway productions include Come From Away, Memphis, First Date and Doctor Zhivago as Executive Producers. Prior to founding Junkyard Dog, Sue was Associate Producer at Goodspeed Musicals for 20 years, where she produced more than 50 new musicals at both the Goodspeed Opera House and the Norma Terris Theatre. Before that, she was a Broadway company manager. A graduate of Smith College, Sue is a member of the adjunct faculty at Columbia University School of the Arts and is the current Chair-Elect of The Broadway League. She also serves on The Broadway League’s Board of Governors and its Executive, Tony Administration, Audience Engagement, Intra-Industry and Business Development Committees.

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is a writer and theater artist whose plays include Purpose, Appropriate, The Comeuppance, Girls, Everybody, War, Gloria, An Octoroon and Neighbors. He is a Professor in the Practice at Yale University and serves as Vice President of the Dramatists Guild Council. He has received two Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, a MacArthur Fellowship, the Windham-Campbell Prize for Drama and the inaugural Tennessee Williams Award.

R. Patrick Morrow is an experienced financial advisor with more than 20 years of experience serving ultra-high-net-worth individuals, corporations and nonprofit organizations. He works closely with clients to develop SMART wealth management plans that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based. Recognizing the value of the tax-deferral opportunities available through corporate retirement plans, Patrick completed advanced training through the UCLA Anderson School of Management in collaboration with The Retirement Advisor University, earning the Certified 401(k) Professional designation. He advises businesses on a range of retirement and benefits matters, including defined contribution and defined benefit plan design, investment selection, employee incentive programs and participant education.

The honorees will be celebrated at DGF’s Annual Gala, supporting playwrights, composers, lyricists and librettists for the American theater through financial resources, education-driven programming and free rehearsal spaces throughout their careers.