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, commencing with this year’s celebration of Kevin Hart. The live ceremony will be held in 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 Prize have included Comedy Central (1998-99), PBS (2000-22) and CNN (2023). Netflix also streamed this year’s SAG Awards on Feb. 24, where Barbra Streisand received the lifetime achievement award.
Dave Chappelle, who received the Mark Twain Prize five years ago, will appear in this year’s salute, along with Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld (neither of whom has yet received the honor, surprisingly), Nelly, Dave Burd aka “Lil Dicky,” Jimmy Fallon, Tiffany Haddish, Regina Hall, Chelsea Handler, Keith Robinson, J.B. Smoove and The Plastic Cup Boyz. Adam Blackstone is set to serve as music director.
“We are delighted to announce our partnership with Netflix and continue the Center’s 25-year tradition of celebrating exceptional comedians like Kevin,” Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter said in a statement.
The 25th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is under the direction of executive producer David Jammy and the creative team from Done + Dusted, the Kennedy Center’s producing partner for the Mark Twain Prize since 2018.
Previous recipients of the Mark Twain Prize are 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Michaels (2004), Steve Martin (2005), Neil Simon (2006), Billy Crystal (2007), George Carlin (2008), Bill Cosby (2009; rescinded in 2018), Tina Fey (2010), Will Ferrell (2011), Ellen DeGeneres (2012), Carol Burnett (2013), Jay Leno (2014), Eddie Murphy (2015), Bill Murray (2016), David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).
