Bill Maher to Receive Mark Twain Prize for American Humor: Report

While it’s not official yet, The Atlantic is reporting that Bill Maher is this year’s recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Maher would be honored before the Kennedy Center shuts down for a two-year renovation (that has no relationship whatsoever to any other events surrounding the Kennedy Center over the past year).

Bill Maher has definitely been doing comedy for a long time, as one would hope for the recipient of one of comedy’s highest honors. Beginning his career in the 1970s, he hosted the political talk show Politically Incorrect from 1993-2002, after which he began Real Time with Bill Maher, the HBO series he still hosts today.

Maher’s selection, The Atlantic observes, feels like an unlikely one considering that like many comedians, Maher is not a current favorite of the current Presidential administration, which has taken control over the Kennedy Center and its respective programs. Just last month, Trump called Maher a “highly overrated LIGHTWEIGHT” on TruthSocial, and according to sources, Maher has not yet officially accepted the award and Trump’s decision could be reversed before anything goes public.

Still, should it go through, it’ll be an opportunity for Maher to stand up on a stage and tell jokes, despite recently declaring that he was quitting stand-up. He’d follow Conan O’Brien, who was last year’s recipient.