Conan O’Brien to receive Mark Twain Prize at Kennedy Center

Comedian Conan O’Brien is set to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Kennedy Center said in a press release Thursday.

O’Brien, a late-night TV veteran, will be awarded the prize at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall in late March, according to the release. Netflix will air the ceremony.

“For four decades, Conan O’Brien, has brought his unique blend of the smart, silly, insightful, and hilarious into our homes,” said Deborah F. Rutter, president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in a statement.

“From Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons—including the unbelievably funny monorail episode—to late night, podcasts, and all things Team Coco, Conan is a master of invention and reinvention, consistently pushing the envelope in search of new comedic heights,” she added.

O’Brien, in his own statement in the release, said he is “honored to be the first winner of the Mark Twain Prize recognized not for humor, but for my work as a riverboat pilot.”

O’Brien is also set to host this year’s Academy Awards in March, succeeding fellow comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s two-year run as the Oscars host.

“America demanded it, and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars,” O’Brien said in a statement on his hosting.

Past winners of the Mark Twain award include Kevin Hart, Adam Sandler, Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

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