commencing this year with the celebration of Kevin Hart and the 25th anniversary of America’s top prize
for comedy. Hart will be awarded the Mark Twain Prize for his extraordinary contributions to the genre
and his impressive achievements across comedy, film, and television. The live ceremony will be held in
the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on Sunday, March 24, 2024, and will premiere on Netflix on Saturday,
May 11, 2024, during the Netflix is a Joke Fest.
This year’s program will feature a cast of leading performers, including Dave Burd aka “Lil Dicky,” Dave
Chappelle, Jimmy Fallon, Tiffany Haddish, Regina Hall, Chelsea Handler, Nelly, The Plastic Cup Boyz
(John Clausell, Ron “Boss” Everline, Wayne Brown, Will “Spank” Horton, Na'im Lynn, Harry Ratchford,
Joey Wells), Keith Robinson, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, and J.B. Smoove. The music director for the
25th Mark Twain Prize is Adam Blackstone. Artists are subject to change.
The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, presented by Wells Fargo, recognizes individuals who have
had an impact on American society in ways similar to the distinguished 19th-century novelist and
essayist Samuel Clemens, best known as Mark Twain. As a social commentator, satirist, and creator of
characters, Clemens was a fearless observer of society, who startled many while delighting and
informing many more with his uncompromising perspective on social injustice and personal folly.
“We are delighted to announce our partnership with Netflix and continue the Center’s 25-year tradition
of celebrating exceptional comedians like Kevin," commented Kennedy Center President Deborah F.
Rutter. “The Mark Twain Prize, which annually brings the comedy community together to recognize
comedic excellence and impact, aligns with Netflix's standing as the eminent home for comedy
programming. We’re excited to bring this spectacular night of tributes, roasts, and hilarity to Netflix.”
As a recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Hart will receive a copy of a 1884 bronze
portrait bust of Mark Twain sculpted by Karl Gerhardt (1853–1940). Previous recipients of the Kennedy
Center 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Neil Simon (2006), Billy Crystal (2007), George Carlin (2008), Bill Cosby (2009; rescinded in 2018), Tina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), Dave Chappelle
(2019), Jon Stewart (2022), and Adam Sandler (2023).
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. This year’s ceremony marks the 25th
year in its illustrious history.
Previous broadcast partners have included Comedy Central (1998-1999), PBS (2000-2022), and CNN
(2023). The 2024 Mark Twain Prize Gala will be co-chaired by Barbara Goodman Manilow and Cappy
McGarr. David M. Rubenstein is the Honorary Chair for the Mark Twain Prize. United Airlines is the
Official Airline of the Mark Twain Prize.
The event was created by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Bob Kaminsky, Peter
Kaminsky, Mark Krantz, and John Schreiber. The Kennedy Center is grateful to Cappy McGarr for his
steadfast support of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor since its inception in 1998.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is America’s living memorial to President Kennedy.
It is the nation’s busiest performing arts facility and annually hosts more than 2,000 performances for
audiences totaling nearly 2 million; Center-related touring productions and television and radio