Conan O'Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Last updated August 29, 2025 2025 television special
Conan O'Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Conan O'Brien who was the 26th recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor . O'Brien is known for his extensive career as a comedy writer on shows such as the Fox animated sitcom The Simpsons and the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live as well as hosting several late night programs such as Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993–2009), The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009–2010), and Conan (2010–2021).
The ceremony was pre-taped and filmed on March 24, 2025, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts where he was honored by his fellow comedian friends and collaborators such as John Mulaney , Will Ferrell , Nikki Glaser , Bill Burr , Sarah Silverman , Stephen Colbert , Adam Sandler , and David Letterman . The special was then aired on Netflix on May 4, 2025.
History the bust of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor The ceremony was dedicated to the 26th recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor , Conan O'Brien . The first recipient of this award was given to Richard Pryor in 1998 and has since been awarded to numerous comedians such as Bob Newhart , Whoopi Goldberg , Billy Crystal , Steve Martin , Tina Fey , Carol Burnett , Bill Murray , Jon Stewart , Julia Louis-Dreyfus , and Dave Chappelle . [ 1] The prize remains the highest honor a comedian can receive. [ 2]
The award, named after the 19th-century humorist Mark Twain who famously wrote American classics such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). The award is presented to individuals who have "had an impact on American society in ways similar to" Twain. [ 3] The award was presented at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. , where it has been presented annually since 1998. Organizers initially chose Catherine O'Hara to receive the award. She initially accepted before backing out. [ 4]
Production The event was on March 24 where it was pre-taped and filmed at the Kennedy Center . The special debuted on Netflix on May 4, 2025. Numerous friends of O'Brien were at the event to honor him including David Letterman , John Mulaney , Bill Burr , Nikki Glaser , Stephen Colbert , and Adam Sandler . Writer and comedian Robert Smigel as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog served as the announcer for the evening. The Max Weinberg 7 served as the band. Throughout the night he was honored for his work as a writer on The Simpsons , Saturday Night Live , Late Night with Conan O'Brien , The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien , and Conan , as well as his recent hosting of the 97th Academy Awards .
Several of O'Brien's collaborators from his talk show appeared throughout the ceremony including Andy Richter , The Interrupter , Triumph the Insult Comic Dog , the FedEx Pope , the Masturbating Bear , and Jordan Schlansky . O'Brien ended the show by spotting Mark Twain (portrayed by Will Forte ) in the audience. They bickered at each other before embracing and slow dancing. A chorus of Mark Twain impersonators came out and slow danced with each other as well. The show ended with Adam Sandler and O'Brien performing a rendition of the Neil Young song Rockin' in the Free World on their guitars. [ 5]
Change at the Kennedy Center Due to the budget cuts and the overtake of the Kennedy Center by newly elected President Donald Trump many of the performers talked about the regime change of the institution. Conan O'Brien addressed on his podcast about the controversy saying, "Obviously for the last couple of months with the new administration, there's been some controversial stuff going on with the Kennedy Center. There was a question of, 'Should I go? Should I not go?' And I felt like it was important to show up." [ 7]
At the ceremony, many of the performers made jokes and references to the changes and the Trump administration. O'Brien addressed the changes and the political climate in his acceptance speech saying in part, "Twain hated bullies, He punched up, not down, and he deeply empathized with the weak", before adding, “Twain loved America, but he knew it was deeply flawed. Twain wrote, Patriotism is loving your country all of the time and your government only when it deserves it". [ 8]
Reception Elizabeth Blair of NPR described the ceremony as being filled of "silliness, scatological humor, cutting political satire". [ 9]
References ↑ "The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor" . Kennedy Center . Retrieved May 4, 2025 . ↑ "Comedians will celebrate Conan O'Brien at the Kennedy Center on Sunday. Will they take on Trump?" . NPR . Retrieved May 4, 2025 . ↑ "The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor" . Kennedy Center . Retrieved March 24, 2025 . ↑ "It's Conan O'Brien's big night — at Donald Trump's Kennedy Center" . The Washington Post . March 20, 2025. Archived from the original on March 21, 2025. Retrieved May 17, 2025 . ↑ "Conan O'Brien Accepts Mark Twain Prize for Humor While Acknowledging the Kennedy Center's Uncertain Future" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved May 4, 2025 . ↑ "Standout Moments From Conan O'Brien's Mark Twain Prize Ceremony" . Forbes . Retrieved May 4, 2025 . ↑ "Conan O'Brien Defends Attending Kennedy Center Mark Twain Event Despite Trump Controversy: 'I Felt Like It Was Important' . Variety . Retrieved May 4, 2025 . ↑ "Conan O'Brien accepts Mark Twain Prize for humor as politics roils the Kennedy Center" . Associated Press . Retrieved May 4, 2025 . ↑ " . NPR . Retrieved May 4, 2025 . Further reading
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