WASHINGTON—Conan O'Brien accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday.
A host of comedians including David Letterman, Adam Sandler, Sarah Silverman, and Stephen Colbert celebrated O'Brien for comic greatness.
The show was the first signature event at the Kennedy Center since President Donald Trump announced he would become chairman of the institution.
Along with the annual Kennedy Center Honors in December, the Mark Twain Prize is one of the premier events at the renowned arts institution. Trump did not attend the event on Sunday and did not attend any of the Honors performances during his first term.
O‘Brien hosted the Oscars earlier this month and is slated to come back in the emcee role next year. He was the host of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien” on NBC and “Conan” on TBS. He is a former writer for “Saturday Night Live.”
“You are a genius, my friend,” comedian and actor Will Ferrell said from the stage. “You’re an absolute giant in the world of comedy,” said actor and comedian Tracy Morgan.
O'Brien told reporters before the show that he wanted to go through with the event to support Kennedy Center workers. “Our country has been through many different sea changes, and my thought is I will be here specifically to honor Mark Twain and the people that this award stands for,” he said.
Previous winners of the Mark Twain Prize include Kevin Hart, Sandler, Jon Stewart, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Carol Burnett.
Sunday’s show will be available for viewing on Netflix on May 4.
