BILL MAHER TAKES HOME KENNEDY CENTER'S MARK TWAIN PRIZE!
The late-night legend gets roasted AND celebrated for his fearless comedy and contrarian takes at D.C.'s most prestigious humor honor.
Bill Maher just scored one of comedy's biggest honors! The sharp-tongued host was awarded the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday night at a bash that had all the comedy world's A-listers in the room. According to Variety, the glitzy D.C. affair mixed heartfelt praise with plenty of good-natured ribbing from fellow entertainers and colleagues who know Maher's brand of comedy better than anyone.
The Mark Twain Prize—now celebrating its 27th year—is basically the Super Bowl of humor awards, and Maher was hailed for his intellect, fearlessness, and status as the ultimate contrarian. Translation: the guy's built his whole brand on saying what everyone else is thinking (or dreading to hear), and the comedy establishment is giving him a standing ovation for it.
The Kennedy Center event struck that perfect balance between comedy roast and genuine tribute—light-hearted zingers flew, but so did real appreciation for what Maher's brought to late-night TV and stand-up over the years. It's the kind of night where you get absolutely hammered with jokes AND get to cry a little bit because your peers actually respect the heck out of you.
Sources · Variety