DeGeneres to receive Twain humor prize

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WASHINGTON, May 15 (UPI) -- Ellen DeGeneres is to be presented with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced Tuesday.

The stand-up comedian and talk-show host is to be honored Oct. 22 at a ceremony in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall in Washington. Featuring a lineup of some of the biggest names in comedy, it will be taped for subsequent television broadcast.

"The Kennedy Center is happy to recognize Ellen DeGeneres' unique contributions to the world of comedy," Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein said in a statement Tuesday. "Through her television programs, stand-up appearances, movies, and even commercials, her special brand of humor has allowed us to find hilarity in the mundane and has kept us laughing for years."

"It's such an honor to receive the Mark Twain Prize. To get the same award that has been given to people like Bill Cosby, Tina Fey and Will Ferrell, it really makes me wonder… why didn't I get this sooner?" DeGeneres said.