Conan O’Brien Honored With Mark Twain Prize At The Kennedy Center

Conan O’Brien is accepting a big honor, although it comes amid controversy.

While some performers have canceled upcoming appearances and pledged not to return to the Kennedy Center amid Donald Trump‘s takeover, the 61-year-old comedian and former late night TV host accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday (March 23).

Conan was named the 26th recipient of the Mark Twain Prize back in January, weeks before Trump fired most of the institution’s board and replaced them with his own supporters to elect him as the new chairman.

“It’s a personal decision what everybody wants to do, but my decision was that there’s a lot of people that work here at the Kennedy Center who have been here for a very long time,” he said.

“They work hard to promote the arts, and so I want to be here in that spirit.”

Conan O’Brien’s Kennedy Center ceremony will be streaming on Netflix on May 4.