WASHINGTON—Jon Stewart accepted the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Sunday night.
Stewart, the 23rd recipient of the prize, was honored in testimonials from fellow comedians and previous Mark Twain Prize recipients. Stewart himself spoke during Dave Chappelle’s Mark Twain ceremony in 2019, and Chappelle returned the favor.
“It is a miracle to watch you work. You are a cure for what ails this country,” said Chappelle.
The 59-year-old Stewart—born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz—rose to prominence as a standup comic and host of multiple failed talk shows before taking over Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” in 1999.
Several of Sunday’s speakers were former “Daily Show” correspondents, including Samantha Bee, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, and John Oliver.
Since retiring from “The Daily Show” in 2015, Stewart has become a vocal proponent of a number of social causes and one of the most prominent voices in support of healthcare for Sept. 11 first responders in New York City. He recently returned to television as host of “The Problem with Jon Stewart” on Apple TV+.
This was the first Mark Twain ceremony since Chappelle’s in 2019. The award skipped 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from that two-year break, the prize has been presented annually since 1998, with Richard Pryor receiving the first honors.
Other recipients include Carol Burnett (the oldest recipient at age 80), Tina Fey (the youngest at age 40), Eddie Murphy, Jonathan Winters, George Carlin, and Lily Tomlin. 2009 recipient Bill Cosby had his prize rescinded in 2018 amid multiple allegations of sexual assault.
