Comedian Bill Maher will receive the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the centre announced on Thursday, just days after the White House dismissed reports of the award as 'FAKE NEWS'. The ceremony is scheduled for 28 June, shortly before President Donald Trump plans to close the venue for renovations.
The Kennedy Center confirmed the award in a statement, with vice-president of public relations Roma Daravi noting Maher's decades-long influence on American discourse 'one politically incorrect joke at a time'. Maher quipped that he 'just had the award explained to me, and apparently it's like an Emmy, except I win'.
The White House had previously denied the award, with communications director Steven Cheung calling the initial report 'literally FAKE NEWS'. No comment was made following Thursday's announcement. The Mark Twain Prize, established in 1998, honours significant contributions to humour and commentary; past recipients include Conan O'Brien, Dave Chappelle, and Tina Fey.
Maher and Trump have a complicated history. In 2013, Trump filed a $5m lawsuit against Maher over a joke about his parentage, later dropping it. Earlier this year, Trump claimed Maher was 'extremely nervous' during a White House dinner, while Maher described Trump as 'gracious and measured' and praised some of his policies, including immigration enforcement and NATO spending demands.
The award comes amid Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center, where he has replaced its board, added his name to the venue, and approved a two-year closure for renovations—actions that have sparked ongoing legal challenges.
