Bill Maher was roasted and toasted on Sunday, when he took home the 27th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Louis C.K., Whitney Cummings, Woody Harrelson, Jay Leno, and John Mellencamp were among the friends on hand to celebrate — and mock — the man of the evening.
Cummings kicked off the tribute by leaning into Maher’s notoriously complex dynamic with Donald Trump. “Bill has been in a very committed, very toxic relationship with the United States. He’s a warrior for free speech — especially when someone is mid-sentence,” she quipped.
READ: The drama behind Bill Maher receiving the 2026 Mark Twain Prize, explained
“He’s not a guy who gives a f–k about what people think of him,” said Louis C.K. “My career took a turn downward,” the comic continued, referring to sexual-harassment incidents that he has since admitted to, “but then I heard from Bill. He offered to help me when no one else would.”
Fellow comedian Matt Friend later crashed the stage in character, delivering a spot-on Trump impression that led to a playful sparring match with the honoree. “Why are we giving this low-ratings, lightweight jerk the Mark Twain award?” Friend asked in Trump’s signature cadence, jokingly trying to swipe the prize.
Throughout the night, quips frequently turned to Maher’s well-known fondness for marijuana. “You are what you smoke,” joked Leno, who presented Maher with his award.
Harrelson took the opportunity to playfully plug the high-end cannabis dispensary that the two co-own in West Hollywood and then had some fun about their long relationship, stating, “I’ve known Bill a long time, since back when he was funny.”
The Real Time host — who also has the podcast Club Random With Bill Maher and previously fronted Politically Incorrect on Comedy Central — has amassed a total of 42 career Emmy nominations. His sole win came in 2014 as an executive producer for the documentary series Vice, which took home the award for Outstanding Informational Series or Special.
“If I had to choose between the 41 Emmys I’ve lost and the type of fans I have … it’s the fans every time,” said Maher. “This really does mean a lot to me. Believe me, when they called and said, ‘Would you accept this?’ they did not have to ask twice.”
With this honor, Maher joins an elite group of entertainers that includes Conan O’Brien, Dave Chappelle, Ellen DeGeneres, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin, and Jon Stewart.
The 27th annual Mark Twain Prize ceremony will stream on Netflix on July 21.
