The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced that the 27th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor honoring Bill Maher will premiere exclusively on Netflix on July 21, 2026. Netflix has been the exclusive broadcast partner of the Mark Twain Prize since 2024.

The gala performance honoring Bill Maher will take place on Sunday, June 28, 2026 in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, with a star-studded cast spanning comedy and culture.

This year’s program features a lineup of talent whose work embodies a distinctly American tradition of sharp wit that echoes the spirit of Maher himself: Louis C.K., Whitney Cummings, Woody Harrelson, Arianna Huffington, Jay Leno, John Mellencamp, Stephen A. Smith, and other special guests. The music director for the 27th Mark Twain Prize is Grammy Award-winning producer and composer Cheche Alara.

“We are delighted to once again partner with Netflix to bring the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor — the nation’s most prestigious comedy honor — to audiences everywhere,” said Roma Daravi, Vice President of Public Relations. “Comedy fans will have a front-row seat to an evening of comedic candor, not to be missed.”

A limited selection of performance tickets are available starting at $99 — giving fans the rare opportunity to be in the room for one of Washington’s most anticipated evenings. For fans who would like to also attend the exclusive Post-Performance Celebration, a “Debut Package” may be purchased for $750, while packages last. Further ticket and sponsorship package details can be found in the Ticket section below.

The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor recognizes individuals who have had an impact on American society in ways similar to the distinguished 19th-century novelist and essayist Samuel Clemens, colloquially known as Mark Twain. As a social commentator, satirist, and creator of characters, Clemens was a fearless observer of society who delighted and informed onlookers with his uncompromising perspective on society and personal folly.

As a recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Maher will receive a copy of an 1884 bronze portrait bust of Mark Twain sculpted by Karl Gerhardt (1853–1940). Previous recipients of the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize are Richard Pryor (1998), Jonathan Winters (1999), Carl Reiner (2000), Whoopi Goldberg (2001), Bob Newhart (2002), Lily Tomlin (2003), Lorne Michaels (2004), Steve Martin (2005), Neil Simon (2006), Billy Crystal (2007), George Carlin (2008), Bill Cosby (2009; rescinded in 2018), Tina Fey (2010), Will Ferrell (2011), Ellen DeGeneres (2012), Carol Burnett (2013), Jay Leno (2014), Eddie Murphy (2015), Bill Murray (2016), David Letterman (2017), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (2018), Dave Chappelle (2019), Jon Stewart (2022), Adam Sandler (2023), Kevin Hart (2024), and Conan O’Brien (2025).

The event was created by Bob Kaminsky, Peter Kaminsky, Mark Krantz, and John Schreiber, with support by Cappy McGarr since its inception in 1998.

TICKET INFORMATION

A limited selection of Performance Tickets will be available starting at the special price of $99. For a limited time only, a “Debut Package” may be purchased for $750 to include a Performance Ticket and access to the Post-Performance Celebration. Visit the Box Office or purchase online HERE.

Sponsorship packages start at $1,500 and include a Pre-Performance Reception, Gala Performance Tickets, and a Post-Performance Celebration. All sponsorship packages are on sale now and can be reserved online or by emailing marktwainprize@kennedy-center.org.

For all other ticket-related customer service inquires, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

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