JOHN OLIVER TO HOST 61ST ANNUAL WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA AWARDS

NEW YORK CITY –  John Oliver, correspondent on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, has been named host of the 61^st Annual Writers Guild of America Awards’ New York ceremony. The awards will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2009 at New York City’s Hudson Theatre.

A correspondent on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart since 2006, Oliver brings his comedic talents and unusual insights to the American television audience, all in a British accent.

Oliver also has written and starred in his own Comedy Central stand-up special John Oliver: Terrifying Times and appeared in the 2008 film The Love Guru. In addition, he currently hosts The Times’ weekly comedy podcast The Bugle with Andy Zaltzman, his long-time friend and collaborator with whom he also wrote and starred in three series of The Department and two series of Political Animal for BBC Radio4. Oliver started his stand-up career in the U.K. as a regular at the Edinburgh Festival. He now performs all over the United States, recently headlining at the Las Vegas comedy festival.

Other highlights of the evening will include:

•  John Patrick Shanley receiving the Hunter Lifetime Achievement Award
• Norman Stiles receiving the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence
• Chris Albers and Tom Fontana receiving the Jablow Award for Service to the Guild
•  Presentations of the Burkey Award recognizing contributions that have brought honor and dignity to writers, the John Merriman Award, and the Michael Collyer Award bestowed by the Writers Guild of America, East Foundation
• Presenters including: Sam Waterston, Ana Ortiz, John Slattery, Talia Balsam, Jack McBrayer, Judah Friedlander, Susie Essman, Linus Roache, Alana De La Garza, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, Paul F. Tompkins, S. Epatha Merkerson, Marshall Brickman, Gilbert Gottfried, Shari Springer Berman, and more.

The East Coast show is produced by Anne Marie Gaynor.

The 61^st Annual Writers Guild Awards will take place on Saturday, February 7, 2009 in New York City at the Hudson Theatre in the Millennium Broadway Hotel and simultaneously in Los Angeles at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. For more information or to purchase tickets to the New York City awards ceremony, call 212-767-7812 or visit the WGAE website at www.wgaeast.org/awards.

The Writers Guild of America, East is a labor union representing writers in motion pictures, television, cable, new media, and broadcast news. The WGAE conducts programs, seminars, and events on issues of interest to, and on behalf of, writers. In addition, it represents writers’ interests on the legislative level.  For more information on the Writers Guild of America, East, visit www.wgaeast.org.