Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Winners List
- Photo: Evan Hurd Photography / Getty Images
Presented for: 1998
Those who were there to honor Pryor included: Chris Rock, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Gene Wilder, Chevy Chase, Tim Allen, Danny Glover, Damon Wayans, Kris Kristofferson, and Dick Gregory.
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- And Deeper...195+ Famous Sagittarius Celebrities
- #43 of 559 onPeople We Wish Were Still Alive
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 1999
Those who were there to honor Winters included: Steve Allen, Sid Caesar, Robin Williams, Eugene Levy, Bonnie Hunt, Michael McKean and Robert Wuhl.
More Jonathan Winters- #36 of 262 onThe Funniest Stand-Up Comedians Of All Time
- #73 of 365 onThe 100+ Funniest People Of All Time
- #117 of 784 onThe Greatest Entertainers Of All Time
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2000
Those who were there to honor Reiner included: Mel Brooks, Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Steve Martin, Rob Reiner, Jerry Seinfeld, Ray Romano, Joy Behar, and George Wallace
More Carl Reiner- #2 of 140 onThe Funniest Jewish Comedians Of All Time
- #42 of 61 onWho Are The Best Jewish Film Directors Of All Time?
- #47 of 288 onAmerican Public Figures Who Are National Treasures
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2001, the first female recipient of the reward.
Those who were there to honor Goldberg included: Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Wanda Sykes, Cedric the Entertainer, Chris Tucker, Alan King, and Harry Belafonte
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- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2002
Those who were there to honor Newhart included: Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, The Smothers Brothers, Don Rickles, Tim Conway, Bernie Mac, Jane Curtin, Fred Willard, Steven Wright.
More Bob Newhart- #27 of 262 onThe Funniest Stand-Up Comedians Of All Time
- #13 of 288 onAmerican Public Figures Who Are National Treasures
- #18 of 81 onFamous People Most Likely to Live to 100
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2003
Those there to honor Tomlin included: Jane Fonda, Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Dave Chappelle, Elaine Stritch, Doris Roberts, George Lopez, and Dolly Parton.
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- #65 of 262 onThe Funniest Stand-Up Comedians Of All Time
- #111 of 180 onThe Best Living American Actresses
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2004
Those who were there to honor Michaels included: Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Tim Meadows, David Spade, Paul Simon, Conan O'Brien, Christopher Walken, and Senator John McCain.
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- #92 of 140 onThe Funniest Jewish Comedians Of All Time
- #42 of 109 onThe Funniest Canadian Comedy Actors of All Time
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2005
Those who were there to honor Martin included: Tom Hanks, Carl Reiner, Martin Short, Larry David, Dave Barry, Eric Idle, Diane Keaton, Claire Danes, Queen Latifah, Randy Newman, Paul Simon, and Mike Nichols.
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- And Deeper...320 Famous Leo Celebrities
- #28 of 227 onThe Most Trustworthy Celebrities In The World
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2006
Those there to honor Simon included: Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Jason Alexander, Robert Klein, Paul Reiser, Christina Applegate, Richard Dreyfus, and Robert Redford
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- #75 of 142 onThe Greatest American Writers of All Time
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2007
Those there to honor Crystal included: Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert De Niro, Danny De Vito, John Goodman, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Lovitz, Martin Short, Rob Reiner, Barbara Walters.
More Billy Crystal- #6 of 140 onThe Funniest Jewish Comedians Of All Time
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- #233 of 264 onThe Best (Male) Actors Working Today
- Photo: Deborah Feingold / Getty Images
Presented for: 2008, posthumously
Those there to honor Carlin included: Joan Rivers, Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Lewis Black, Denis Leary, Margaret Cho, Garry Shandling, and Lily Tomlin.
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- #53 of 559 onPeople We Wish Were Still Alive
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Presented for: 2009, rescinded in 2018
Those who honored Cosby included: Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Sinbad, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Steven Wright, Willie Nelson, Carl Reiner, Dick Gregory, Rita Moreno, and Phylicia Rashad.
More Bill Cosby - Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2010
Those who honored Fey included: Alec Baldwin, Amy Poehler, Steve Martin, Steve Carell, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Hamm, Fred Armisen, Jennifer Hudson, Betty White, and Lorne Michaels.
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- #80 of 227 onThe Most Trustworthy Celebrities In The World
- #969 of 1,285 onThe Most Beautiful Women Of All Time
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2011
Those who honored Ferrell included: Conan O'Brien, John C. Reilly, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Adam McKay, Tim Meadows, Matthew Broderick, and Ed Asner.
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- And Deeper...345 Famous Cancer Celebrities
- #137 of 227 onThe Most Trustworthy Celebrities In The World
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2012
Those there to honor DeGeneres included: Jane Lynch, Sean Hayes, Jimmy Kimmel, John Leguizamo, John Krasinski, Steve Harvey, Kristin Chenoweth, and Lily Tomlin
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2013
Those there to honor Burnett included: Julie Andrews, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Rashida Jones, Martin Short, Tony Bennett, Vicki Lawrence, and Tim Conway.
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- #34 of 227 onThe Most Trustworthy Celebrities In The World
- #121 of 348 onThe Best Actresses In Film History
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2014
Those there to honor Leno included: Jerry Seinfeld, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Robert Klein, J.B. Smoove, Jamie Foxx, Wanda Sykes, Chelsea Handler, Kristin Chenoweth, and Garth Brooks
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- #7 of 16 on16 Celebrities Who Were Banned From Late-Night Shows
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- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2015
Those there to honor Murphy included: Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Arsenio Hall, Jay Pharoah, Tracy Morgan, Trevor Noah, George Lopez, Kevin Nealon, and Kathy Griffin.
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- #105 of 264 onThe Best (Male) Actors Working Today
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2016
Those there to honor Murray included: David Letterman, Emma Stone, Bill Hader, Aziz Ansari, Miley Cyrus, Jane Curtin, Jimmy Kimmel, Brian Doyle Murray, and Sigourney Weaver.
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2017
Those there to honor Letterman included: Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Martin Short, John Mulaney, Norm Macdonald, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmie Walker, and Eddie Vedder.
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- #88 of 262 onThe Funniest Stand-Up Comedians Of All Time
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2018
Those there to honor Louis-Dreyfus included: Jerry Seinfeld, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Bryan Cranston, Tony Hale, Lisa Kudrow, Keegan-Michael Key, Kumail Nanjiani, Abbi Jacobson, Ilana Glazer, and Jack Johnson.
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- #952 of 1,285 onThe Most Beautiful Women Of All Time
- Video: YouTube
Presented for: 2019
Those who honored Chappelle included: Jon Stewart, Bradley Cooper, Morgan Freeman, Aziz Ansari, Lorne Michaels, Mos Def, Sarah Silverman, Neal Brennan, Kenan Thompson, Michael Che, Colin Jost, Chris Tucker, Tiffany Haddish, rapper Common, John Legend, and Chrissy Teigen
- Photo: Darwin Brandis / Shutterstock.com
Presented for: 2022
Those who were there to honor Sandler included: Samantha Bee, Steve Carell, Dave Chappelle, Pete Davidson, Ed Helms, Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Meacham, Olivia Munn, Bassem Youssef, and Bruce Springsteen. Stephen Colbert appeared remotely via video chat and John Oliver appeared in a pre-taped segment.
Born on November 28, 1962, in New York City, Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, better known as Jon Stewart, has crafted a career that spans multiple decades and includes an array of roles from stand-up comedian to television host to political commentator. Stewart's rise to fame began in the world of comedy, where his wit and satirical insights quickly made him a recognizable figure within the industry. His early work included several television appearances and stand-up specials, but it was his role as the host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central that catapulted him into the international spotlight. Stewart took the helm of The Daily Show in 1999 and under his direction, the show transformed from a light-hearted news parody to a respected source of news commentary. His sharp humor, combined with incisive political and social commentary, resonated with audiences, leading to an increase in viewership and critical acclaim. During his tenure, The Daily Show won 22 Primetime Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards, establishing itself as a powerful voice in American media. Stewart's influence reached beyond television, impacting political discourse and public opinion. In addition to his landmark work on The Daily Show, Stewart has made significant contributions to other areas of entertainment. He has written and directed films including Rosewater (2014), which marked his directorial debut. He also authored bestselling books such as America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction and its sequel, Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race. Despite stepping down from The Daily Show in 2015, Stewart's legacy continues to influence the world of comedy, television, and political commentary. His unique blend of humor and insight makes him a distinctive figure in American entertainment.More Jon Stewart- Dig Deeper...Jon Stewart's Most Entertaining Feuds Ever
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- #24 of 140 onThe Funniest Jewish Comedians Of All Time
- Photo: Michael Mattes / Shutterstock.com
Presented for: 2023
Those who were there to honor Sandler included: Chris Rock, Conan O'Brien, Ben Stiller, Dana Carvey, Pete Davidson, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Anniston, Idina Menzel, David Spade.
Adam Sandler, hailed as one of the most successful comedic actors of his time, was born on September 9, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York. He is of Russian-Jewish descent and was raised in Manchester, New Hampshire. Sandler's career began in the world of comedy with his spontaneous performances at a Boston comedy club while attending New York University. Upon graduation, he took his comedic talent to the next level, moving to Los Angeles where he became a regular on MTV's game show Remote Control. Sandler's big break came when he was cast as a performer for NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 1990. His unique blend of comedy, which often included humorous original songs, made him a favorite among SNL audiences. After five years on SNL, Sandler transitioned into film, starring in numerous box-office hits including Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and The Waterboy. His ability to deliver laughs while portraying lovable, flawed characters solidified his status as a star in Hollywood. Despite his success in comedy, Sandler has also shown versatility in his acting skills with acclaimed dramatic performances. His roles in films like Punch-Drunk Love and Uncut Gems garnered critical acclaim, showcasing a depth and range beyond his comedic roots. Sandler's commitment to his craft, combined with his ability to connect with audiences, has established him as a significant figure in the entertainment industry. His enduring appeal, even decades after his SNL debut, is a testament to his talent and adaptability.