Drew Barrymore, Gayle King, Norah O’Donnell, and Wendy McMahon at the CBS News/Politico reception ahead of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner last year. Photo by Mary Kouw/CBS.

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The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is upon us. Nerd Prom, as it’s known by the flock of journalists and politicos who descend on Washington, D.C. each year for a series of cocktail parties and the black-tie dinner, returns next weekend. The annual event is a weekend of parties and brunches thrown by the major news outlets, talent agencies, and media conglomerates, all cradling the main event: the dinner itself, this year on April 29 and hosted by Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. and featuring a speech from President Joe Biden.

CBS News and Paramount are fairly new entrants into the WHCD party game. Last year, they debuted with the splashiest event of the weekend, a coveted after-party following the dinner at the French Ambassador’s residence — where Graydon Carter used to throw Vanity Fair’s glamorous but now defunct bash.

The CBS

News party is returning this year, Mediaite has learned. The bash will be hosted by CBS News, French Ambassador Laurent Bili, and Paramount brands BET, Comedy Central, and Pluto TV. Paramount global chair Shari Redstone and CBS president and CEO George Cheeks are set to attend alongside some of the biggest names at the news network, including Norah O’Donnell, Gayle King, and Margaret Brennan.

CBS News is also putting on, with Politico, one of the pre-receptions at the Hilton before the dinner. That event will be hosted by CBS News co-president Neeraj Khemlani and Politico CEO Goli Sheikholeslami. Guests are set to include big D.C. names like DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Chris Wray, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC).

No word yet on whether Evan Mock will be dusting off his Prada bolo tie to attend this year’s event.

Tags: CBS News, WHCD, White House