2025 Library Lions

Each year, The New York Public Library honors several distinguished individuals for outstanding achievements in their respective fields of arts, culture, letters and scholarship by naming them Library Lions. Previous honorees include Margaret Atwood, Ina Garten, Jhumpa Lahiri, Spike Lee, President Nelson Mandela, Steve Martin, Zadie Smith, Steven Spielberg, Gloria Steinem, Darren Walker, Oprah Winfrey, and many more.

On November 3, 2025, we look forward to inducting our newest class of distinguished Lions—award-winning novelist Louise Erdrich, acclaimed international writer Daniel Kehlmann, renowned author and musician James McBride, storytelling icon and literary advocate James Patterson, groundbreaking television producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes, and rock and roll legend Bruce Springsteen.

For more information on the 2025 Library Lions Gala, please visit our website. If you have any questions, please contact us at 212.621.0530 or librarylions@nypl.org.