Presenting Sponsor Wells Fargo
The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will present the 27th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to Bill Maher
The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts will present the 27th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to Bill Maher on June 28, 2026 in the Trump Kennedy Center Concert Hall. The Prize, which is named to honor one of the world’s greatest humorists, will be awarded at a gala performance featuring some of the biggest names in comedy. The program will premiere exclusively on Netflix, with a streaming date to be announced.
Genre
Comedy
For more than twenty-five years, Bill Maher has set the boundaries of where funny, political talk can go on American television. First on “Politically Incorrect” (Comedy Central, ABC, 1993-2002), and for more than twenty years on HBO’s “Real Time,” Bill’s combination of unflinching honesty and big laughs have garnered him 42 Emmy nominations. Bill won his first Emmy in 2014 as executive producer for the HBO series, “VICE.” In October of 2008, this same combination was on display in Maher’s uproarious and unprecedented swipe at organized religion, “Religulous,” directed by Larry Charles (“Borat”).
In naming him the 14th most influential person in media for 2025, Mediaite noted that "In the age of independent-minded content creators, Maher can be easily recognized as a pioneer – and one of the only independents who continues to thrive. His show also remains a coveted spot for any political commentator and heck, who else can say that he is regularly cited in a positive light by both Fox and MS NOW?" Those guests have included President Barack Obama, then Vice President Joseph Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Howard Stern, Elon Musk, Barbra Streisand, Kerry Washington, Steve Martin & Martin Short, Megyn Kelly, Ronan Farrow, Howard Dean, Michael Moore, Eva Longoria, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Jim Carrey, Sen. Ted Cruz, Susan Sarandon, Gary Hart and Pat Buchanan.
Most recently, Bill released his blockbuster, New York Times bestselling book “What This Comedian Said Will Shock You.” (Simon & Schuster) A brilliantly astute and acerbically funny vivisection of American life, politics, and culture, it is Maher’s first book in more than a decade. He has written five bestsellers: “True Story,” “Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? Politically Incorrect’s Greatest Hits,” “When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Bin Laden,” “New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer,” and, “The New New Rules: A Funny Look at How Everybody But Me Has Their Head Up Their Ass.”
In 2022, Bill launched a new podcast, “Club Random with Bill Maher.” The podcast records at the bar on his property in Los Angeles, called Club Random, where he hosts hour-long, one-on-one interviews with a wide range of eclectic guests. Each episode features free flowing, long-form conversations about anything and everything. Guests have included David Mamet, Margaret Cho, John Mellencamp, Ice Cube, Jon Hamm, Olivia Culpo, Sean Penn and many more. Within a week of launching, the podcast hit #1 on Apple Podcasts. Regarding Club Random, Mediaite proclaimed, “Maher is one of the few people in media to achieve true multi-platform success. By establishing himself as a brand, Maher’s podcast Club Random has become a destination, jam-packed with big name celebrities, journalists, comics, and politicians. And importantly, often the names that won’t get a one-on-one anywhere else.”
He started his career as a stand-up comedian in 1979 and has been recognized with numerous Emmy nominations for his stand-up specials for HBO. He’s done 13 solo specials for the premium cable channel including, “Bill Maher: Be More Cynical” (2000), “I’m Swiss” (2005), “Bill Maher … But I’m Not Wrong” (2010), “Bill Maher: Live From Oklahoma“ (2018), #Adulting”(2022) and the Golden Globe-nominated “Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This?” which is available to stream on HBO Max.
He was born in New York City, raised in River Vale, N.J., and went to Cornell University. Bill now resides in Los Angeles.
The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor recognizes individuals who have had an impact on American society in ways similar to the distinguished 19th-century novelist and essayist Samuel Clemens, colloquially known as Mark Twain. As a social commentator, satirist, and creator of characters, Clemens was a fearless observer of society who delighted and informed onlookers with his uncompromising perspective on society and personal folly. The event was created by Bob Kaminsky, Peter Kaminsky, Mark Krantz, and John Schreiber.
View our collection of video clips from the 26th Mark Twain Prize honoring Conan O'Brien. Emmy® Nominee for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded), Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming, and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special
Hear what some of comedy's bright stars had to say about this year's recipient of the prestigious award.
The inaugural Mark Twain Prize was presented to Richard Pryor during the first annual Kennedy Center Celebration of American Humor, October 20, 1998. The event was created by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Bob Kaminsky, Peter Kaminsky, Mark Krantz, and John Schreiber and is televised annually. The Kennedy Center is grateful to Cappy McGarr for his steadfast support of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor since its inception.
Previous recipients of the Mark Twain include Richard Pryor (1998), Jonathan Winters (1999), Carl Reiner (2000), Whoopi Goldberg (2001), Bob Newhart (2002), Lily Tomlin (2003), Lorne Michaels (2004), Steve Martin (2005), Neil Simon (2006), Billy Crystal (2007), George Carlin (2008), Bill Cosby (2009, rescinded in 2018) Tina Fey (2010), Will Ferrell (2011), Ellen DeGeneres (2012), Carol Burnett (2013) Jay Leno (2014), Eddie Murphy (2015), Bill Murray (2016), David Letterman (2017), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (2018), Dave Chappelle (2019), Jon Stewart (2022), Adam Sandler (2023), Kevin Hart (2024), and Conan O’Brien (2025).
Explore previous honorees below.
Kevin Hart acceptance speech
Adam Sandler acceptance speech
Jon Stewart acceptance speech
Dave Chappelle acceptance speech
*2009 Bill Cosby; rescinded in 2018
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Tony Hinchcliffe
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Tony Hinchcliffe, one of the top roasters in the world and the mastermind behind the Kill Tony podcast, brings his razor-sharp wit to the Concert Hall stage.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Unofficial Late Night
Sat. May 30, 2026
Built on cinematic writing and the unpredictability of live theater, Unofficial Late Night blends stand-up, sketch, improvisation, and character-driven comedy into a dynamic format for stage and screen.
