Conan O'Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

{{Infobox television

| image =

| writer =

| starring = Conan O'Brien
John Mulaney
Will Ferrell
Nikki Glaser
Bill Burr
Sarah Silverman
Stephen Colbert
Adam Sandler
David Letterman

| announcer = Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (voiced by Robert Smigel)

| country = United States

| language = English

| executive_producer =

| producer = Marcus Raboy
Phil Rosenberg
Robin Burke
Neha Patel
Emeline Carlisle

| editor =

| runtime = 86 minutes

| company =

| network = Netflix

| released = {{Start date|2025|05|04}}

}}

Conan O'Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is a filmed television special honoring comedian, writer, and talk show host Conan O'Brien who was the 26th recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. O'Brien is known for his extensive career as a comedy writer on shows such as the Fox animated sitcom The Simpsons and the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live as well as hosting several late night programs such as Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993–2009), The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009–2010), and Conan (2010–2021).

The ceremony was pre-taped and filmed on March 24, 2025, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts where he was honored by his fellow comedian friends and collaborators such as John Mulaney, Will Ferrell, Nikki Glaser, Bill Burr, Sarah Silverman, Stephen Colbert, Adam Sandler, and David Letterman. The special was then aired on Netflix on May 4, 2025.

History

File:Mark Twain House - HABS photo 023190pu (cropped).jpg]]

The ceremony was dedicated to the 26th recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Conan O'Brien. The first recipient of this award was given to Richard Pryor in 1998 and has since been awarded to numerous comedians such as Bob Newhart, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Tina Fey, Carol Burnett, Bill Murray, Jon Stewart, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Dave Chappelle.{{cite web|url=https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/marktwain/|title=The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor|publisher=Kennedy Center|access-date=May 4, 2025}} The prize remains the highest honor a comedian can receive.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2025/03/21/nx-s1-5333694/conan-obrien-kennedy-center-mark-twain-prize-trump|title=Comedians will celebrate Conan O'Brien at the Kennedy Center on Sunday. Will they take on Trump?|publisher=NPR|access-date=May 4, 2025}}

The award, named after the 19th-century humorist Mark Twain who famously wrote American classics such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). The award is presented to individuals who have "had an impact on American society in ways similar to" Twain.{{Cite web |title=The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor |url=https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/marktwain/ |access-date=March 24, 2025 |publisher=Kennedy Center |language=en}} The award was presented at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., where it has been presented annually since 1998. Organizers initially chose Catherine O'Hara to receive the award. She initially accepted before backing out.{{Cite news |date=2025-03-20 |title=It’s Conan O’Brien’s big night — at Donald Trump’s Kennedy Center |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2025/03/20/conan-twain-kennedy-center/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250321004030/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2025/03/20/conan-twain-kennedy-center/ |archive-date=2025-03-21 |access-date=2025-05-17 |work=The Washington Post |language=en}}

== Production ==

The event was on March 24 where it was pre-taped and filmed at the Kennedy Center. The special debuted on Netflix on May 4, 2025. Numerous friends of O'Brien were at the event to honor him including David Letterman, John Mulaney, Bill Burr, Nikki Glaser, Stephen Colbert, and Adam Sandler. Writer and comedian Robert Smigel as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog served as the announcer for the evening. The Max Weinberg 7 served as the band. Throughout the night he was honored for his work as a writer on The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, and Conan, as well as his recent hosting of the 97th Academy Awards.

Several of O'Brien's collaborators from his talk show appeared throughout the ceremony including Andy Richter, The Interrupter, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the FedEx Pope, the Masturbating Bear, and Jordan Schlansky. O'Brien ended the show by spotting Mark Twain (portrayed by Will Forte) in the audience. They bickered at each other before embracing and slow dancing. A chorus of Mark Twain impersonators came out and slow danced with each other as well. The show ended with Adam Sandler and O'Brien performing a rendition of the Neil Young song Rockin' in the Free World on their guitars.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/conan-obrien-mark-twain-prize-kennedy-center-uncertain-future-1236170975/|title=Conan O'Brien Accepts Mark Twain Prize for Humor While Acknowledging the Kennedy Center's Uncertain Future|website=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=May 4, 2025}}

Performers

File:2024-03-09 SXSW Conan Nick-Kroll Office-Space events 07123.jpg in 2024]]

= In order of appearance =

scope="col" \| Performer ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| Notes
class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"
John Mulaney	Mulaney made jokes surrounding Conan's influence on him as a child
Will Ferrell	Ferrell jokingly told a story about when he received the award, Conan promised if offered it he would decline it.
Nikki Glaser	Glaser talked about being introduced to O'Brien's comedy by her father and sparred with The Interrupter (played by Brian Stack)
Bill Burr	Burr paid tribute to O'Brien as a friend and fellow comic.
Kumail Nanjiani	Nanjiani in Ted Talk form, argued if Conan O'Brien deserved the honor
Andy Richter	Richter paid tribute to Conan who gave him a career in comedy
Sarah Silverman	Silverman shared memories of playing Adolf Hitler on Conan and comparing Conan’s lips to a woman’s vagina
Stephen Colbert and Sean Evans	Colbert answered questions from Evans as if he were on Hot Ones
Tracy Morgan	Morgan shared his relationship with Conan having both worked for NBC
Reggie Watts	Watts performed a comedic song in tribute to Conan.
Adam Sandler	Sandler paid tribute to O'Brien with a call and response bit from the audience
David Letterman	Letterman shared when he knew Conan would be a great host of Late Night and presented him with the Prize.
Will Forte	Forte portrayed Mark Twain with whom O'Brien fought and eventually slow danced with before being joined with other Mark Twains slow dancing with each other.

= Pre-taped =

Paul Rudd appears as himself (with added clip from Mac and Me)
Fred Armisen appears as a fictional Harvard University president
Bill Hader and Martin Short appeared but were cut from the final broadcast.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyolson/2025/03/24/conan-obriens-mark-twain-prize-ceremony-is-a-spicy-politically-charged-affair/|title=Standout Moments From Conan O'Brien's Mark Twain Prize Ceremony|website=Forbes|access-date=May 4, 2025}}

= Musical performance =

Adam Sandler and Conan O'Brien performed the song Rockin' in the Free World by Neil Young.
Wade Leist, 2025 World Livestock Auctioneer Champion who quickly read out Conan's list of acknowledgements

Change at the Kennedy Center

Due to the budget cuts and the overtake of the Kennedy Center by newly elected President Donald Trump many of the performers talked about the regime change of the institution. Conan O'Brien addressed on his podcast about the controversy saying, "Obviously for the last couple of months with the new administration, there's been some controversial stuff going on with the Kennedy Center. There was a question of, 'Should I go? Should I not go?' And I felt like it was important to show up."{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/conan-obrie-kennedy-center-trump-controversy-1236359158/|title=Conan O'Brien Defends Attending Kennedy Center Mark Twain Event Despite Trump Controversy: 'I Felt Like It Was Important'|website=Variety|access-date=May 4, 2025}}

At the ceremony, many of the performers made jokes and references to the changes and the Trump administration. O'Brien addressed the changes and the political climate in his acceptance speech saying in part, "Twain hated bullies, He punched up, not down, and he deeply empathized with the weak", before adding, “Twain loved America, but he knew it was deeply flawed. Twain wrote, Patriotism is loving your country all of the time and your government only when it deserves it".{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/conan-obrien-trump-kennedy-center-twain-award-77ee76e54f8075a2f6c872302df07294|title=Conan O'Brien accepts Mark Twain Prize for humor as politics roils the Kennedy Center|publisher=Associated Press|access-date=May 4, 2025}}

== Reception ==

Elizabeth Blair of NPR described the ceremony as being filled of "silliness, scatological humor, cutting political satire".{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2025/03/24/nx-s1-5336358/conan-obrien-mark-twain-prize-kennedy-center|title='Twain hated bullies.' Conan O'Brien receives Mark Twain Prize at the Kennedy Center|publisher=NPR|access-date=May 4, 2025}}