Kennedy Center partners with Netflix to stream Mark Twain Prize

Netflix will stream this year’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, marking the second time the star-studded event has switched broadcasters in the past two years - and the first time it’s prioritized streaming.

The 25th ceremony will honor stand-up comedian and actor Kevin Hart and will be held in the Kennedy Center’s 2,465-seat Concert Hall on March 24. It will stream on Netflix on Saturday, May 11, during the Netflix Is a Joke festival - a marathon of stand-up shows in Los Angeles that also streams on the service.

A news release from the Kennedy Center states this is a “multiyear partnership” with the streaming service, though it does not specify how many years. A representative for the Kennedy Center declined to offer additional details about the partnership.

The award, named after author Samuel Langhorne Clemens (i.e., Mark Twain), is given to comedians “whose humor, much like the award’s namesake Mark Twain, has impacted American society,” according to the center. Hart will become its 25th recipient, following in the footsteps of Richard Pryor, Dave Chappelle, Carl Reiner and Carol Burnett. Last year’s award went to Adam Sandler.

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with Netflix and continue the Center’s 25-year tradition of celebrating exceptional comedians like Kevin,” Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter said in a statement. “The Mark Twain Prize, which annually brings the comedy community together to recognize comedic excellence and impact, aligns with Netflix’s standing as the eminent home for comedy programming. We’re excited to bring this spectacular night of tributes, roasts, and hilarity to Netflix.”

The streaming service has invested heavily in stand-up, attracting a wide array of comics including Tom Segura, Mike Epps, Jimmy Carr, Bo Burnham, Ali Wong, Seth Myers and Jerry Seinfeld. It launched the Netflix Is a Joke festival in 2022. This year’s festival, with more than 300 live events at 35 Los Angeles venues, runs May 2-12 and features comics such as Nate Bargatze, Seth Rogen, Bill Burr, John Mulaney, Taylor Tomlinson, Sarah Silverman and Nikki Glaser.

Netflix will be the fourth broadcaster of the Mark Twain Prize ceremony. Comedy Central aired pretaped telecasts of the award’s launch, honoring Richard Pryor in 1998 and Jonathan Winters in 1999, and PBS broadcast every subsequent ceremony until CNN took over last year.

CNN acquired the broadcast under the reign of then-chief executive Chris Licht, who attempted to broaden the network’s offerings. At the time, he called the ceremony “one of the most uplifting, entertaining events of the year” in a statement to The Washington Post, and said his network was “thrilled” to broadcast it.

Before his time at CNN, Licht executive-produced Stephen Colbert’s late-night comedy show for CBS and produced two other Colbert-centric comedy shows.

The Twain Prize went on a two-year hiatus after Chappelle received the honor in 2019, due to the pandemic. It returned as a spring ceremony after traditionally taking place in the fall, just before the Kennedy Center Honors.

During the ceremony, several of the honoree’s friends - and sometimes, family members - climb onstage to praise, or often gently roast, the comedian of the hour. The night concludes with a speech by the honoree. This year’s guests will include actresses Tiffany Haddish and Regina Hall; comedians Chappelle, Jimmy Fallon, Seinfeld and Chris Rock; and rapper Nelly, the center announced in a news release Thursday.