Adam Sandler has been named the next recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He will be awarded the honor at a gala event held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on March 19th.
The Mark Twain Prize is awarded every year to recognize “individuals who have had an impact on American society in ways similar to the distinguished 19th-century novelist and essayist Samuel Clemens, best known as Mark Twain.”
“Adam Sandler has entertained audiences for over three decades with his films, music, and his tenure as a fan favorite cast member on SNL,” Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter said in a statement. “Adam has created characters that have made us laugh, cry, and cry from laughing. I am looking forward to a laughter-filled evening like no other as we celebrate his career at a ceremony that is sure to bring together the best in comedy.”
After breaking out on Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s, Sandler stepped out on his own with films like the critically panned Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and The Waterboy. However, the comedian later found a groove in the late ’90s and early 2000s with movies like The Wedding Singer and Punch-Drunk Love.
More recently, Sandler has given the best performance of his career in Uncut Gems, starred as a basketball scout in the sports drama Hustle, and played a more comedic role in Hubie Halloween. Check out our breakdown of his best film roles here.
If Sandler gives an acceptance speech anything like the one he recently delivered at the 2022 Gotham Awards, the Kennedy Center ceremony will be well worth watching. Watch the Gotham Awards speech, purportedly penned by his teenage daughters, via the TikTok clips below.
First handed out in 1998 to Richard Pryor, the Mark Twain Prize has also been awarded to Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, and Steve Martin. Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart became the most recent recipient earlier year, with Dave Chappelle and Julia Louis-Dreyfus receiving the distinction before that.
@consequence Adam Sandler was honored with the Film Tribute Award at the 2022 Gotham Awards. #adamsandler #gothamawards
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@consequence Adam Sandler’s daughters have jokes for days. #adamsandler #gothamawards
@consequence 🫡 The Sandman #adamsandler #gothamawards
