Kennedy Centre to honour comedian Bill Maher with Mark Twain prize
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has announced that comedian Bill Maher will receive the 27th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on June 28.
A press statement on Wednesday noted that the award would be presented during a gala performance at the Trump Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
The programme is set to premiere exclusively on Netflix, with a streaming date to be announced.
“For nearly three decades, the Mark Twain Prize has celebrated some of the greatest minds in comedy, for even longer, Bill has been influencing American discourse one politically incorrect joke at a time,” the center’s Vice President of Public Relations, Roma Daravi said.
The Mark Twain Prize awards individuals who have left a legacy on American society similar to the 19th-century writer Mark Twain.
The honour was created by Bob Kaminsky, Peter Kaminsky, Mark Krantz and John Schreiber.
According to the statement, Mr Maher responded to the honour, saying, “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. 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.”
Earning 42 Emmy nominations, with his first win in 2014 as executive producer of the HBO series VICE, Mr Maher is known for his political hosting and writing such as “Politically Incorrect” and “Real Time.”
Beyond television, Mr Maher is also a bestselling author, with a latest book titled, “What This Comedian Said Will Shock You.”
He also hosts the podcast Club Random with Bill Maher, which features wide-ranging conversations with guests across entertainment, politics and media.
As part of the recognition, Mr Maher will receive a bronze portrait bust of Twain, originally sculpted by Karl Gerhardt in 1884.The Kennedy Center hosts over 2,000 performances and events annually, attracting millions of visitors each year.
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