Netflix has entered into a multi-year partnership with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the exclusive televised home of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, beginning with this year's celebration of Kevin Hart. The live ceremony will take place at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on Sunday, March 24, and will premiere on Netflix on Saturday, May 11, during the Netflix Is a Joke Fest.
Previous broadcast partners for the Mark Twain Award have included Comedy Central (1998-99), PBS (2000-22), and CNN (2023). Netflix also aired this year's SAG Awards on February 24, where Barbra Streisand received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dave Chappelle, who received the Mark Twain Award five years ago, will appear at this year's salute, along with Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld (neither of whom have yet received the honor, surprisingly), Nelly, Dave Burd known and as “Lil Dicky”, Jimmy Fallon, Tiffany Haddish, Regina Hall, Chelsea Handler, Keith Robinson, JB Smoove and The Plastic Cup Boyz. Adam Blackstone is set to serve as musical director.
“We are delighted to announce our partnership with Netflix and continue the Center's 25-year tradition of celebrating extraordinary comedians like Kevin,” Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter said in a statement.
The 25th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is directed by executive producer David Jammy and the creative team from Done + Dusted, the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize production partner since 2018.
Previous recipients of the Mark Twain Award 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; canceled 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), Chappelle (2019), Jon Stewart (2022) and Adam Sandler (2023).
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/netflix-mark-twain-prize-for-american-humor-kevin-hart-1235633536/
