Saturday Night Live drafts Knicks' Jalen Brunson to host the season 52 premiere

Other announced hosts for the upcoming season include Dakota Johnson, Shane Gillis, and Inde Navarrette.

By Dennis Perkins  |  September 9, 2026 | 2:01pm
Screenshot: Malika Andrews-ESPN/YouTube
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Saturday Night Live drafts Knicks' Jalen Brunson to host the season 52 premiere

With Saturday Night Live‘s record-extending 52nd season set to kick off on Saturday (duh), September 26, the show announced its first four hosts and musical guests. In something of a surprise call, the season premiere host will be New York Knicks point guard, NBA champ and finals MVP Jalen Brunson, alongside musical guests KATSEYE, in their SNL debut. Sports figures have long been a, let’s call them, shaky prospect when it comes to performing live sketch comedy on SNL, but they don’t call Brunson “Captain Clutch” and “King of New York” for nothing. 

Up next on October 3, two-time host Dakota Johnson returns for her third episode, although without most of the Please Don’t Destroy guys to knock around this time. The Materialists star will have to settle for teaming with musical guests Turnstile.

On October 10, executive producer Lorne Michaels continues to rehire Shane Gillis (here for the third time as host), a guy he preemptively fired for being a bigoted hack back in 2019. Joining the seemingly bulletproof Tires star will be musical guest Rosalia, back in Studio 8H for the second time. 

The last of the announced hosting gigs goes to breakout Obsession star Inde Navarrette, with Gracie Abrams along as musical guest. The newly crowned horror queen will make her first hosting stint, fittingly, on Halloween night. 

With the new season fast approaching, look for more news in the days to come, as SNL is currently scouting new cast members to replace the likes of Chloe Fineman and writer Martin Herlihy, whose departures have already been announced.

 
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