Overview
- The Kennedy Center announced Thursday that Bill Maher will receive the Mark Twain Prize on June 28 with the ceremony to stream on Netflix.
- White House aides first labeled reports of Maher’s selection as “fake news,” then said the denial was accurate at the time because discussions changed over the week.
- The ceremony comes days before a planned two‑year closure for renovations under a Trump‑installed board after the institution was renamed, a shift that prompted artist cancellations.
- Maher thanked the organizers with a quip and said on Friday’s show that Trump tried to block him, underscoring their rocky relationship since a 2025 White House dinner.
- The honor marks the 27th Mark Twain Prize, a career award previously given to figures such as Conan O’Brien, Tina Fey, and Carol Burnett.