Lorne Michaels to receive Twain Prize

WASHINGTON, June 17 (UPI) -- The Kennedy Center has announced it will award the seventh annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to "Saturday Night Live" creator Lorne Michaels.

"The Kennedy Center is pleased to give Lorne Michaels the Mark Twain Prize for an extraordinary career," said center president Michael M. Kaiser. "His creation of 'Saturday Night Live,' which has become an American icon, along with his work in film and on Broadway has provided this nation with some of its greatest comedians."

Michaels has won 10 Emmy Awards as a writer and producer. "SNL" is a multiple Emmy-winner, and also has a George Foster Peabody Award to its credit.

Michaels is also executive producer of NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," and has produced such movie hits as "Wayne's World" and "Mean Girls."

Kennedy Center officials said the award ceremony -- an all-star tribute to Michaels on Oct. 25 in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall -- will be taped for broadcast nationwide at a later date.

Previous Twain Prize winners were Richard Pryor, Jonathan Winters, Carl Reiner, Bob Newhart and Lily Tomlin.