WASHINGTON — Colin Jost, the co-anchor of Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update," will get a chance in April to roast leading political and media figures as the featured entertainer at the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner.

"His smart brand of comedy and keen observation will turn up the heat on the national news media and across the political spectrum," Kelly O'Donnell, president of the White House Correspondents' Association and NBC News' senior White House correspondent, said in a statement.

Jost has been a staff writer for the long-running NBC late-night comedy franchise, currently in its 49th season, since 2005 and has racked up 14 Emmy Award nominations during his tenure. He began co-anchoring the show's news parody in 2014 with co-anchor Michael Che. His film credits include "Coming 2 America" and "Tom & Jerry."

Last year, "The Daily Show" correspondent Roy Wood Jr. – who left the Comedy Central show in the fall – hosted the event.

Jost is the author of the memoir "A Very Punchable Face." The 41 year old grew up in Staten Island and graduated from Harvard University, where he was dormmates with now Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. He's also been married to Scarlett Johansson since October 2020. They welcomed their first child, Cosmo, in August 2021.

The U.S. president and first lady traditionally attend the WHCA dinner, as do senior government officials and members of the press corps, with the proceeds from the night helping to fund scholarships for journalism students.

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Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY