Jay Leno receives top American prize, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

Jay Leno will be honored this Sunday with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

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Former “Tonight Show” host, Jay Leno, will receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor which is considered the top humor prize in the United States, reported the Associated Press, Oct. 19. Many comedians and entertainers of note will honor Leno’s humor and accomplishments this Sunday at the Kennedy Center in Washington and they’ll poke a little fun at him, too.

Leno is the 17th recipient of the prize. This event puts him in the ranks of former winners such as Richard Pryor, Carol Burnett, Ellen Degeneres, Bill Cosby, Steve Martin and Whoopi Goldberg. All of the recipients have been among those deemed to have impacted American society in the tradition of Mark Twain (Samuel L Clemens) who used humor, satire, and social commentary in his work. On the website for the show, Mark Twain’s quote, “Humor must not professedly teach, and it must not professedly preach, but it must do both if it would live forever,” seems to be a stout announcement of the focal point around which candidates are chosen.

Jay Leno’s history with the “Tonight Show” long preceded his having become the host in 1992. He’d made his first guest appearance in 1977 and was an exclusive guest host for the show since 1987. Now that he has stepped and passed his title on, he has been developing a new show called “Jay Leno’s Garage” that has already gained a lot of attention from the internet and won notable awards, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class - Short-format Nonfiction Programs.

Stand-up comedy was the stuff that built Jay Leno’s career and he still performs all over the country in many kinds of venues. To this day, he performs over 100 live shows every year. Along with that and his television endeavors, he’s even found time to write a humorous children’s book called “If Roast Beef Could Fly.”

Those lined up to honor Jay Leno with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor are Jerry Seinfeld, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Myers, Kevin Eubanks, Jamie Foxx, JB Smoove, Garth Brooks, Chelsea Handler, Wanda Sykes, Kristin Chenoweth, Al Madrigal and Betty White. The list on the show’s website notes that cast members may be subject to change. The event will be videotaped and will air on PBS, nationwide Nov. 23.

*originally published on the now defunct Examiner.com