Garrison Keillor

Garrison Keillor, a renowned American author and radio personality, is best known for his creation and hosting of the radio show "A Prairie Home Companion" from 1974 to 2016. His unique storytelling style, often centered on the fictional Minnesota town of Lake Wobegon, was showcased in his five-minute daily radio/podcast program "The Writer's Almanac.” Keillor's contribution to American Public Media has been significant, making him a prominent figure in public radio.

Keillor's versatility extends beyond radio, with accomplishments in film, writing, and voice-over work. He wrote and starred in the 2006 musical comedy film "A Prairie Home Companion" and has written numerous articles for magazines such as "The New Yorker,” "The Atlantic Monthly,” and "National Geographic.” His literary contributions include an advice column under the pseudonym "Mr. Blue" for Salon.com and a collection of political essays titled "Homegrown Democrat: A Few Plain Thoughts from the Heart of America.” Keillor's voice-over work has been featured in campaigns for Honda UK and in Ken Burns's documentary series "The Civil War" and "Baseball.”

Keillor's accomplishments have been acknowledged with several awards, including a Peabody Award in 1980 for "A Prairie Home Companion.” He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1994 and received a National Humanities Medal from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1999. His storytelling prowess earned him the first Moth Award – Honoring the Art of the Raconteur in 2007, followed by the John Steinbeck Award the same year. His recording of "Lake Wobegon Days" won him a Grammy Award in 1988, and in 2016, he received the Fitzgerald Award for Achievement in American Literature.