5 hours ago 2

Conan O'Brien to receive the Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in comedy

Mark Twain Prize for American Humor honours individuals who have "had an impact on American society in ways similar to" Twain.

US comedian and talk show host Conan O’Brien has been named the newest recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in comedy.

The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor has been presented annually since 1998, except for the years 2020 and 2021. Named after the 19th-century humorist Mark Twain, it is presented to individuals who have "had an impact on American society in ways similar to" Twain.

O'Brien, 61, has carved out an improbable decadeslong career arc, moving from goofy television interloper to comedic elder statesman. The former host of Late Night With Conan O’Brien (1993-2009) and Conan (2010-2021) currently has a popular travel series, Conan O’Brien Must Go - with a second season coming.

In March, O’Brien will host the Academy Awards three weeks before his own Mark Twain ceremony in Washington.

Deborah Rutter, president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in a statement called O'Brien “a master of invention and reinvention, consistently pushing the envelope in search of new comedic heights."

O’Brien offered his own tongue-in-cheek assessment, saying in the Kennedy Center statement that he would be “the first winner of the Mark Twain Prize recognized not for humour, but for my work as a riverboat pilot.”

He will be honored on 23 March in a special ceremony in which he will receive a bronze bust of Twain, the iconic American writer and satirist whose real name was Samuel Clemens.

Mark Twain recipients are honoured with a night of testimonials and video tributes, often featuring previous award winners. The ceremony will stream on Netflix at a later date yet to be announced.

Other comedians receiving the lifetime achievement award include Kevin Hart (2024), Adam Sandler (2023), Jon Stewart (2022), Dave Chappelle (2019), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (2018), David Letterman (2017) and Bill Murray (2016). Bill Cosby, the 2009 recipient, had his Mark Twain Prize rescinded in 2018 amid multiple allegations of sexual assault. 

Read this article on source website