Comedian and talk show host Bill Maher will be awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on June 28 at the Trump Kennedy Center (formerly called the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts), the center announced on Thursday.
Maher, 70, known for his sharp-edged wit, has hosted “Real Time With Bill Maher” on HBO since 2003, The New York Times reported. Before that he hosted “Politically Incorrect” from 1993 to 1996 on Comedy Central and on ABC from 1997 to 2002.
Maher’s biting wit cuts across the political spectrum. He has been a frequent critic of President Donald Trump but has also assailed liberals for their stance on “woke” culture, the newspaper reported.
“Thank you to the Mark Twain people: I just had the award explained to me, and apparently it’s like an Emmy, except I win,” Maher said in a statement. “I’d just like to say that it is indeed humbling to get anything named for a man who’s been thrown out of as many school libraries as Mark Twain.”
Breaking News: Bill Maher, a critic of President Trump and political correctness, will be awarded the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize. https://t.co/cPVMkDMlMc
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 26, 2026
“For more than 25 years, Bill Maher has set the boundaries of where funny, political talk can go on American television,” the Trump Kennedy Center said in a news release. “... Bill’s combination of unflinching honesty and big laughs have garnered him 42 Emmy nominations.”
The White House last week originally denied a report by the Atlantic that Maher would be the next recipient under the renamed Trump Kennedy Center, The Washington Post reported.
“This is fake news. Bill Maher will NOT be getting this award,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the newspaper.
The Atlantic updated its story on Friday, adding: “After this story was published, the White House called the Kennedy Center, and made clear that Maher would not receive the prize.”
However, the center has apparently reversed course, Politico reported.
The award will be awarded in a show broadcast by Netflix, Politico reported. It will be one of the center’s last public events before it closes for a two-year renovation.
The first Twain Award was given to comedian Richard Pryor in 1998. Conan O’Brien was last year’s winner.
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