The comedian Conan O'Brien will receive the prestigious Mark Twain Prize at the Kennedy Center, on Monday night Swedish time. The gala comes just a few weeks after Donald Trump surprisingly fired the leadership and board of the venerable American cultural institution – and appointed himself as the new chairman.
Trump motivated his decision by saying that he wanted to purge people "who do not share our vision for a golden age for the arts and culture", in a post on social media.
Several artists have since terminated their collaboration with the Kennedy Center in protest.
Conan O'Brien was appointed prize winner three weeks before Donald Trump's takeover and has not publicly commented on the changes at the Kennedy Center.
O'Brien is not known for political humor, but made a joke about Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin's relationship at the Oscars, where he was the host.
When O'Brien noted that the film "Anora", which is about a Russian oligarch trying to stop his son from marrying an American stripper, had received several awards at the gala, he said:
I suppose Americans like it when someone finally stands up to a powerful Russian.
The Mark Twain Prize is awarded for a comedian's lifetime achievement and has previously gone to, among others, David Letterman, Adam Sandler, and Ellen DeGeneres.
