Penn Badgley made a surprise appearance as emcee of the 25th annual Young Lions Fiction Award ceremony, held at the New York Public Library on June 12. The prestigious prize is given yearly to an American writer of a novel or short story collection, who is 35 years old or younger. Badgley's Gossip Girl character, Dan Humphrey, was nominated for a Young Lions Fiction Award on the TV series' fifth season.

"It is inspiring to be here tonight," the You actor said during his opening remarks. "[Libraries] are important to our communities as places for knowledge, for connection and opportunity for everybody. They offer different perspectives and they help us deepen our understanding of the world around us."

Celebrity Guests and Nominees

The ceremony also hosted guests to read excerpts from each book, and Badgley wasn't the only celebrity in attendance. In addition to readings from Tyler Foggatt and Fran Tirado, The Bear's Ebon Moss-Bachrach read an excerpt from Last Acts and Yellowjackets star Alexa Barajas read from Catalina. A Quiet Place actress Millicent Simmonds signed a section of The Hearing Test alongside the author.

The 2025 Young Lions Fiction Award nominees included Pemi Aguda for her short story collection Ghostroots, Eliza Barry Callahan for her novel The Hearing Test, Alexander Sammartino for his novel Last Acts, Santiago Jose Sanchez for their novel Hombrecito, and Karla Cornejo Villavicencio for her novel Catalina.

The Winner

This year's winner was Alexander Sammartino. His satirical novel Last Acts follows a father-son duo who enter a grand scheme together to avoid bankruptcy.

"I'm so grateful for books and for libraries and for people who continue to fight for them," Sammartino said in his acceptance speech. "The first time I came [to the New York Public Library], I was 21 years old. I worked on a really bad paper about Huck Finn… I've become a much better writer since then, I think."

For more information on the Young Lions Fiction Award, visit The New York Public Library website>.

Related stories:

• Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Adorable Date Night at the Stanley Cup Final
• Brett Gardner's Son Miller's Death Still Underway as Possible Homicide Report
• Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz Visit a Museum in Spain as They Film Fourth Movie Together