All Seasons

Season 1

  • S01E01 Richard Pryor

    • January 20, 1999
    • Comedy Central

  • S01E02 Jonathan Winters

    • January 12, 2000
    • Comedy Central

  • S01E03 Carl Reiner

    • February 28, 2001
    • PBS

  • S01E04 Whoopi Goldberg

    • November 21, 2001
    • PBS

  • S01E05 Bob Newhart

    • November 13, 2002
    • PBS

  • S01E06 Lily Tomlin

    • November 26, 2003
    • PBS

  • S01E07 Lorne Michaels

    • March 2, 2005
    • PBS

  • S01E08 Steve Martin

    • November 9, 2005
    • PBS

  • S01E09 Neil Simon

    • November 20, 2006
    • PBS

  • S01E10 Billy Crystal

    • November 12, 2007
    • PBS

  • S01E11 George Carlin

    • February 4, 2009
    • PBS

    The Kennedy Center awards the late Grammy-winning American stand-up comedian, actor, and author George Carlin with the eleventh annual Mark Twain Prize in a star-studded celebration.

  • S01E12 Bill Cosby

    • November 4, 2009
    • PBS

    Guest at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. honoring Bill Cosby, receiving the 14th 'Mark Twain Price for American Humor'. (Cosby's award was rescinded in 2018 due to a sexual assault conviction.)

  • S01E13 Tina Fey

    • November 14, 2010
    • PBS

    Guest at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. honoring Tina Fey, receiving the 13th 'Mark Twain Prize for American Humour'.

  • S01E14 Will Ferrell

    • October 31, 2011
    • PBS

    Guest at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. honoring Will Ferrell, receiving the 14th 'Mark Twain Price for American Humour'.

  • S01E15 Ellen Degeneres

    • October 30, 2012
    • PBS

    Guest at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. honoring Ellen DeGeneres, receiving the 15th 'Mark Twain Price for American Humour'.

  • S01E16 Carol Burnett

    • November 24, 2013
    • PBS

    Guest at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. honoring Carol Burnett, receiving the 16th 'Mark Twain Price for American Humour'.

  • S01E17 Jay Leno

    • November 23, 2014
    • PBS

    A lineup of top entertainers, including Garth Brooks, Kevin Eubanks, Jimmy Fallon, Chelsea Handler, Seth Meyers, Jerry Seinfeld, J.B. Smoove, Wanda Sykes, and others, will salute Jay Leno at the 17th Annual Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday, October 19, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. The evening will pay tribute to the humor and accomplishments of Jay Leno, and will be videotaped by WETA Washington, D.C. as Jay Leno: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize. The program will air on PBS stations nationwide November 23, 2014 (check local listings). Artists are subject to change.

  • S01E18 Eddie Murphy

    • November 23, 2015
    • PBS

    Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Kathy Griffin, and Arsenio Hall are among the performers who honor Eddie Murphy with the 2015 Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

  • S01E19 Bill Murray

    • October 28, 2016
    • PBS
  • S01E20 David Letterman

    • November 20, 2017
    • PBS
  • S01E21 Julia Louis-Dreyfus

    • November 19, 2018
    • PBS

    Louis-Dreyfus earned worldwide acclaim for her portrayal of Elaine Benes in the hit NBC series Seinfeld, and as Christine Campbell in the CBS hit comedy The New Adventures of Old Christine. She currently stars in, and executive produces, the HBO series Veep. Between all shows combined, she has received 11 Emmy awards (six consecutively for Veep) with 24 nominations, a Golden Globe award, nine Screen Actors Guild awards which makes her the most decorated actor in the history of the SAG awards, three Television Critics Association awards, five American Comedy Awards, a Peabody Award, and the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy. She has broken the record for the most Emmy’s won by a single performer, as well as the most consecutive wins for a single role (Veep.)

  • S01E22 Dave Chappelle

    • January 7, 2020
    • PBS

    An all-star lineup of entertainers salute and celebrate the career achievements of comedian Dave Chappelle, the recipient of the 22nd Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The event was held at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall in Washington, D.C.

  • S01E23 Jon Stewart

    • June 21, 2022
    • PBS

    An outstanding lineup of entertainers gathers in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall to salute Jon Stewart, recipient of the 23rd annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, including Samantha Bee, Steve Carell, Dave Chappelle, Pete Davidson, Ed Helms, Jimmy Kimmel, Olivia Munn, Bassem Youssef and Bruce Springsteen. John Oliver and Stephen Colbert appeared in a pre-taped video.

  • S01E24 Adam Sandler

    • March 26, 2023
    • CNN

    The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presented the 24th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to Adam Sandler. The Prize, which is named to honor one of the world's greatest humorists was awarded to Adam Sandler at a gala performance featuring some of the biggest names in comedy at the Kennedy Center on March 19, 2023.

  • S01E25 Kevin Hart

    • May 11, 2024
    • Netflix

    The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents the 25th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to Kevin Hart The Prize, which is named to honor one of the world’s greatest humorists was awarded to Kevin Hart at a gala performance featuring some of the biggest names in comedy at the Kennedy Center on March 24, 2024.