Conan O’Brien will receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday, with the attention shifting as much to the Kennedy Center, where the prize will be accepted, as it is to the Emmy-winning comedian himself.
O’Brien, now part of a distinguished group of humorists honored with the award, will be celebrated during an evening of tributes and jokes by fellow comedy legends. The event will be broadcast later on Netflix.
This marks the first signature event at the Kennedy Center since President Donald Trump’s takeover, announced last month, when he became chairman of the institution, replacing billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein. Trump dismissed board members appointed under former President Joe Biden and replaced them with his supporters, handing leadership to Richard Grenell, a Trump ally and former ambassador to Germany, now serving in the administration as an envoy for special missions.
The new board includes White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Usha Vance, wife of Vice President JD Vance. It also fired the former president, Deborah Rutter. Last week, Trump visited the center, claiming it was in “tremendous disrepair.”
Along with the Kennedy Center Honors in December, the Mark Twain Prize stands as one of the most prestigious events at the celebrated arts institution, with red carpet arrivals for the performers and celebrities.
Though Trump is not expected to attend Sunday’s event and did not participate in any Honors performances during his first term, his influence will likely cast a shadow over the evening.
O’Brien, who recently hosted the Oscars and is set to return as host next year, previously led “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” on NBC, and “Conan” on TBS. He is also a former writer for “Saturday Night Live.”
Other past Mark Twain Prize recipients include Kevin Hart, Adam Sandler, Jon Stewart, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Carol Burnett.
