Bill Maher to receive 2026 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor

Bill Maher is set to receive the 2026 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

The ceremony will take place at a 28 June gala in the concert hall of The Donald J Trump and John F Kennedy Memorial Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, Billboard reports.

Maher will be the 27th recipient of the award.

"Thank you to the Mark Twain people: I just had the award explained to me, and apparently it's like an Emmy, except I win," Maher said in a statement.

Per his quip, Maher has lost out dozens of times at the Primetime Emmys. He has received 42 nominations over the years but has won just once, as an executive producer of the HBO series Vice. He lost 11 times for his breakout series, Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher, and 19 times for the subsequent Real Time With Bill Maher.

In addition to his Emmy nods, Maher has received two Grammy nods, both for the audiobooks of two of his best-selling books. He lost both times.

Mark Twain prize alumni include David Letterman, Carol Burnett and Conan O'Brien, who won in 2025.

The news of Maher's win comes after The Atlantic initially reported that he was set to receive the gong several weeks ago, at which the White House issued a statement calling it "fake news" and insisting Maher would not receive the award.

Trump called Maher a "highly overrated lightweight" in a lengthy Truth Social post last year.