Dave Chappelle will receive the 2019 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced today (May 7). Past prize winners include Whoopi Goldberg (2001), Steve Martin (2005), Tina Fey (2010), and David Letterman (2017). Chappelle will formally receive the honor at the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday, October 27. The program will broadcast on PBS on Monday, January 6, 2020.
“Dave is the embodiment of Mark Twain’s observation that ‘against the assault of humor, nothing can stand,’” Deborah F. Rutter, president of the Kennedy Center, said in a statement, according to The New York Times. “For three decades, Dave has challenged us to see hot-button issues from his entirely original yet relatable perspective.”
Matthew Winer, director of comedy and special programming at the Kennedy Center, told NPR, “Dave is one of the truly original voices in comedy—the definition of a creative artist.” He continued, “He’s a modern-day sociologist, skewering stereotypes, defying boundaries, and showing us that laughter can be a way to contextualize issues that we struggle to understand.”
Dave Chappelle has won the last two Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album. In 2018, he was recognized for the two specials The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas. This past February, he earned the Grammy for another pair of specials, Equanimity & The Bird Revelation.
Read “‘Chappelle’s Show’ Is Still Great Music Television” on the Pitch.
https://pitchfork.com/news/dave-chappelle-to-receive-kennedy-center-2019-mark-twain-prize-for-american-humor
