Keke Palmer to Host the 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards
Keke Palmer will host the 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards, the Council of Fashion Designers of America announced on 11 August 2026. The ceremony, presented by Amazon Fashion, takes place on 2 November at the American Museum of Natural History in New York — the fourth consecutive year the venue has hosted the event. (WWD)
Steven Kolb, president and CEO of the CFDA — the trade body that represents American fashion designers and organises the annual awards — said Palmer brings "the right mix of style, humor and authenticity" to the role. The CFDA Fashion Awards recognise achievement across American fashion design, from established names to emerging talent.
Palmer is no stranger to the CFDA stage. At the 2022 awards, she presented the American Emerging Designer of the Year prize to Elena Velez (CFDA). That year's ceremony was hosted by Natasha Lyonne, also in partnership with Amazon Fashion (CFDA).
The 2026 edition comes with a roster of corporate partners. Amazon Fashion returns as presenting partner. Google Shopping will sponsor the American Emerging Designer of the Year award — the same category Palmer handed to Velez four years earlier. MAC Cosmetics signs on as official beauty partner, and Krug, the Champagne house owned by LVMH, as official Champagne partner.
The CFDA is also using the evening to mark a milestone: the 30th anniversary of its Scholarship Fund, which supports fashion-design students. WYouth and Nuuly — the clothing-rental subscription service owned by Canadian retailer Reitmans — will present the Student Viewing Section, giving scholarship recipients a seat at the ceremony. (WWD)
For Palmer, the hosting slot places her front and centre at one of American fashion's most visible nights. She has moved fluidly between acting, hosting and producing since her early screen roles as a child performer, and the CFDA's choice signals that the industry sees her as someone who can carry a room full of designers, executives and stylists — the kind of audience that notices both the jokes and the tailoring.
Nominees and honorees for the 2026 awards have not yet been announced.
