Jay Leno's Mark Twain Prize ceremony was a star-studded event in Washington last Sunday night, as the late night icon was awarded with the top humor prize of the night. Jay Leno's Mark Twain prize was given to him at the Kennedy Center's Concert Hall - it was a night to honor one of America's most famous talk show hosts and also to roast him!
Jay Leno's Mark Twain prize was a long time coming to him, as he's certainly among the most iconic faces in American comedy - certainly, he's one of the most famous men ever to have made it to late night television.
According to The Washington Post, Jay Leno's Mark Twain prize ceremony was one for the ages, as comedy stars like his Tonight Show successor Jimmy Fallon, Jerry Seinfeld, Chelsea Handler and Wanda Sykes made their appearance to talk about the host.
They went on to talk about what Jay Leno had done to the monologue as a comedy tool, honoring Leno for what he's brought to the genre over the course of his career - and then proceeded to roast him in pure Comedy Central fashion, with some of these comedians even performing the best Leno impersonation each of them could muster.
Jay Leno's Mark Twain prize night was surrounded with love and admiration for one of the most prominent men in comedy and television, as he hosted The Tonight Show for over 20 years - 17 straight ones and then 4 more after the famous Conan O'Brien controversy.
It was a night of remembrance to the career of one of the great stars of late night television, who has recently announced he'll be going back to the small screen: he'll be hosting a prime-time car-centric show on CNBC. Leno is a known car collector who owns approximately 286 vehicles, and he even has a column on Popular Mechanics about automotive topics.
The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize focuses on the achievements of American comedy artists, and it has turned into one of the most important awards in comedy. According to USA Today, previous recipients have included the talents of people like Richard Pryor, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, George Carlin, Bill Cosby, Tina Fey and Carol Burnett.
Jay Leno's Mark Twain Prize ceremony will air on PBS on November 23.
