The recognition lands after decades on HBO and a 2022 expansion into his “Club Random” podcast, while Maher has long complained that more than 40 Emmy nominations produced only one win.
The prize also carries political intrigue because the Kennedy Center administers it and Donald Trump recently installed himself as the institution’s chairman.
Maher and Trump have feuded publicly since at least 2013, when Maher offered $5 million over Trump’s birther claims and Trump later sued after Maher refused to pay.
The award places Maher alongside past recipients including Richard Pryor, Steve Martin, Tina Fey and 2025 honoree Conan O’Brien.