Bill Maher hailed as ‘Ultimate Contrarian’ for the Mark Twain Prize
WASHINGTON, DC – Bill Maher received the Kennedy Center’s Mark Train Prize for American Humor on Sunday in a casual and candid affair that mixed accolades, insights and light-hearted roasts from a collection of colleagues and entertainers.
The event, now in its 27th year and held at the Kennedy Center, toasted Maher’s intellect, wide range of interests, interviewing finesse and loyalty to his audience, among other things. As usual, the recipient and guests observed the events from a side box near the stage of the Kennedy Center concert hall, within view of the audience.
The evening’s participants included Louis CK, Whitney Cummings, Woody Harrelson, Arianna Huffington, Jay Leno, John Mellencamp, Matt Friend and Stephen A. Smith. Katie Couric narrated one of many videos showcasing highlights from Maher’s long career, from Comedy Central’s “Political Incorrect” to HBO’s enduring talk series “Real Time With Bill Maher.” The evening’s music director was producer and composer Cheche Alara. The event will be turned into a TV special for Netflix that will be released on July 21.
It’s fair to say that Maher’s wit and spontaneous repartee as a talk show host were central themes for the parade of comrades praising the honoree. With few exceptions, they avoided mentioning Donald Trump’s current politics, even though the Twain Award was the only event in the otherwise empty art facility thanks to him.
Instead, Trump-related antics became the highlight of the show. As Maher walked onto the stage to accept his award from 2014 winner Leno, impressionist Friend stepped out of the audience to interrupt the proceedings. Friend portrays an argumentative President Trump and complained about Maher’s attendance at a White House dinner with Trump in 2025, a topic mentioned by Cummings and defended by Maher during his comedic exchange with Friend.
As expected, participants were effusive in their praise for the honor. Cummings portrayed him as ‘a fighter for quality and justice’, while Louis CK reminisced about his unexpected friendship with Maher that developed during a difficult time in his own career. Harrelson also praised Maher for his insights and humor as the “ultimate contrarian,” and heralded their long-lasting friendship – especially their mutual love of cannabis, mentioning several times the name of the dispensary they jointly own in LA.
Huffington said her first appearance on “Political Incorrect” spawned a “long and deep friendship” with Maher. She described Maher as “the most loyal friend. When you’re with him, you forget all your problems and just laugh. Mark Twain would have loved you,” she said. Her sentiments were echoed by ESPN host Smith, who explained how “Bill keeps it real” and that his “greatest gift is his courage.” Maher, Smith said, illustrated the lyrics to Paul Anka’s song, “My Way,” and continued by reciting a verse from the song.
Other highlights included the opening music from musician Alara and his band, as well as Mellencamp’s performance of ‘Small Town’ and ‘Pink Houses’, both requested by the winner. Maher concluded his acceptance by noting that he has never been all that obsessed with collecting reward hardware. “If I had to choose between the 41 Emmys I lost or the fans, I would choose the fans every time,” Maher said.
Washington DC’s response to President Trump’s unpopular “takeover” of the Kennedy Center last year was clear. The normally sold-out Twain event, a major fundraiser for the facility, drew a significantly smaller crowd than normal. Additionally, security was extremely tight with police presence and metal detectors galore, even though President Trump was not present.
