Dave Chappelle accepts the Mark Twain Prize at the Kennedy Center.

Owen Sweeney / AP

For the first time, a native Washingtonian accepted the Kennedy Center’s highest comedy prize on Sunday night. Dave Chappelle accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, in a ceremony that starred his fellow comedians, former collaborators, and musician pals.

The ceremony opened with a performance of Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” from the Radical Elite Show Band at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, where Chappelle is an alum. According to the Washington Post, the comedian watched the proceedings from a balcony alongside his wife, Elaine, their three children, and his mother.

Comedians including Sarah Silverman, Michael Che, Tiffany Haddish, and Neal Brennan took the stage to honor Chappelle’s long career in comedy, especially his Comedy Central series Chappelle’s Show. 

“Whatever your fears might be, he wants to clear the air and dig down and find out what’s really funny about different situations,” said Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson from the stage, according to NPR. “And that’s the ultimate job of a comedian, and he’s great at it.”

The comedian’s controversial material was a common theme throughout the night. His recent Netflix standup special, Sticks and Stones, drew criticism for jokes about accusers of Michael Jackson and R. Kelly. His previous Netflix specials—part of a $60 million deal with the streaming giant—included transphobic jokes. The specials have earned Chappelle a Grammy and an Emmy Award.

“He’s willing to make fun of everybody, whether you’re white or gay. End of list,” said SNL star Che, according to the Post.

Chappelle addressed the subject in his acceptance speech. “This is the truth and you are obstructing it. I’m not talking about the content. I’m talking about the art form. Do you understand?” he said, Vulture reported. “The First Amendment is first for a reason. The Second is just in case the first one doesn’t work out.”

Other attendees and performers included Chappelle’s many collaborators: His A Star Is Born director and co-star Bradley Cooper was in the audience with his young daughter; and his former Comedy Central network-mate Jon Stewart took the stage to praise Chappelle’s decision in 2005 to end Chappelle’s Show, despite being offered $50 million from the network. John Legend, Common, Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def), and Erykah Badu—all of whom appeared in Chappelle’s 2005 documentary Block Party—performed throughout the evening.

Chappelle is the first local winner in the award’s 21-year history (though last year’s winner, New York native Julia Louis-Dreyfus, is an alum of Montgomery County’s Holton-Arms prep school). Other honorees have included Eddie Murphy, Carol Burnett, Tina Fey, Bill Murray, Richard Pryor, and David Letterman.

Meanwhile, Mayor Muriel Bowser declared Sunday, the day of the ceremony, Dave Chappelle Day in the District (one of many official days she has declared during her time in office).

In her proclamation, Bowser credited the comedian for “inspiring generations of homegrown talent,” especially during the 2017 Emmys, when he got #DCPublicSchools trending around the country on Twitter. “Through insightful humor, Dave Chappelle has challenged people across the globe to think critically about how they view others and themselves, seeing beyond stereotypes and biases,” Bowser wrote. The mayor presented Chappelle with a key to the city in 2017.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton also introduced a statement in the congressional record to honor Chappelle. It reads, in part: “He will be the first District of Columbia-born recipient of this award, making D.C. residents exceedingly proud of his recognition. … Chappelle has never forgotten D.C. as his home. He has gone back to Duke Ellington to speak and inspire students, often reflecting on his own time at the school. He graciously gave the school his Emmy in 2017, impressing on the students that fighting the odds is possible.  He is an advocate for equal rights for D.C. residents.”

And as Norton points out, the comedian is honored on one of the District’s most vaunted traditions: the Ben’s Chili Bowl mural.

In his acceptance speech for the prize, Chappelle thanked D.C. “I am honored to be a part of your community,” he said, according to the Post.

A taping of the Mark Twain Prize ceremony will air on PBS on January 7.

This story has been updated to reflect that Trevor Noah did not appear at the ceremony after a last-minute conflict.

Filed Under: kennedy center, mark twain prize, mayor muriel bowser,