Kennedy Center To Honor Bill Maher With Mark Twain Prize

The Kennedy Center announced that the 27th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor will be awarded to Bill Maher.

A spokesperson from the Kennedy Center issued a statement to the Daily Caller confirming that Maher will be presented the prize during a gala performance June 28,  featuring some of comedy’s biggest names. This year’s honoree reflects the Center’s bipartisan approach to the performing arts, including comedy. The program is slated to premiere exclusively on Netflix.

“For nearly three decades, the Mark Twain Prize has celebrated some of the greatest minds in comedy,” Roma Daravi, Vice President of Public Relations said.

“For even longer, Bill has been influencing American discourse – one politically incorrect joke at a time.”

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 05: Bill Maher Performs During New York Comedy Festival at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 5, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)

Maher issued a statement after being notified of the honor.

“Thank you to the Mark Twain people: I just had the award explained to me, and apparently it’s like an Emmy, except I win,” he said in a press release received by the Daily Caller.

“I’d just like to say that it is indeed humbling to get anything named for a man who’s been thrown out of as many school libraries as Mark Twain.”

A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts pointed to Maher’s approach, noting, “He punches at both sides of the aisle, and the Center is a place where all opinions and beliefs are welcome.”

A person and a dog walk in front of the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC on January 10, 2026. The Washington National Opera announced on January 9 that it would move its performances from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts which has been its home since 1971. Artists have cancelled performances at Washington’s premier performing arts center to protest its renaming to include US President Donald Trump. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)

The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor recognizes individuals who have had an impact on American society in ways similar to the distinguished 19th-century novelist and essayist Samuel Clemens, known as Mark Twain.

Along with the honor, Maher will receive an 1884 bronze portrait bust of Mark Twain, sculpted by Karl Gerhardt.

LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 02: Television host and comedian Bill Maher performs at The Orleans Hotel & Casino July 2, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Previous recipients of the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize include Richard Pryor (1998), Jonathan Winters (1999), Carl Reiner (2000), Whoopi Goldberg (2001), Bob Newhart (2002), Lily Tomlin (2003), Lorne Michaels (2004), and Steve Martin (2005). (RELATED: Vince Vaughn Torches Joyless Formula That Ruined Late Night TV)

Past honorees also include Neil Simon, Billy Crystal, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Carol Burnett, Jay Leno, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, David Letterman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dave Chappelle, Jon Stewart, Adam Sandler, and Kevin Hart.