Conan O'Brien Named Recipient of 2025 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Jokes It's for Being a 'Riverboat Pilot'

Mar. 15, 2025

Conan O’Brien in Los Angeles on April 16, 2024.Photo:Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Conan O’Brienhas been named the recipient of the 2025Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

The prize will presented during a gala performance at the venue’s Concert Hall in Washington, D.C., on March 23, 2025, per a release. The program will then premiere exclusively on Netflix, on a to-be-announced date.

Joked O’Brien, 61, in a statement, “I am honored to be the first winner of the Mark Twain Prize recognized not for humor, but for my work as a riverboat pilot."

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Past recipients includeRichard Pryor,Julia Louis-Dreyfus,Steve Martin,Whoopi Goldberg,Jon Stewart,Dave ChappelleAdam Sandlerand, most recently,Kevin Hart.

“For four decades, Conan O’Brien has brought his unique blend of the smart, silly, insightful and hilarious into our homes,” Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter said in a statement. “FromSaturday Night LiveandThe Simpsons— including the unbelievably funnymonorail episode— to late night, podcasts and all thingsTeam Coco, Conan is a master of invention and reinvention, consistently pushing the envelope in search of new comedic heights."

“I look forward to honoring his immense legacy and enduring impact with an uproarious evening in the Concert Hall on March 23,” Rutter added.

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O’Brien is best known for his work in late-night television, beginning withLate Night with Conan O’Brienin 1993 and ending withConanin 2021,spanning nearly 30 years.

He was also a writer onSNLfrom 1988 to 1991 andThe Simpsonsfrom 1991 to 1993 and has hosted hisConan O’Brien Needs a Friendpodcast since 2018, on top of starring in Max’s travel seriesConan O’Brien Must Goin 2024.

Next up is anAcademy Awardshosting gig, which is set to take place on March 2. It will mark the comedian’s first time emceeing Hollywood’s biggest night.

“America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme," O’Brien quipped of the gig in November 2024, adding, “In other news,I’m hosting the Oscars.”

source: people.com