Conan O’Brien has been announced as the 2025 recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, and will be honored at a gala event held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on March 23rd.
Every year, the Mark Twain Prize is awarded to “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.”
“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,” O’Brien joked in a statement.
O’Brien will be the 26th person to receive the distinction, following honorees including fellow late hosts Jay Leno and David Letterman as well as Richard Pryor, Carl Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, Tina Fey, and Eddie Murphy. Kevin Hart was honored with the Mark Twain Prize last year after Adam Sandler was recognized in 2023.
Netflix will stream the ceremony for the 26th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor sometime later this year.
Meanwhile, on March 2nd, the comedian will host the 2025 Academy Awards. His travel show Conan O’Brien Must Go was also recently renewed at Max for a second season.