Mark Twain Prizes

Steve Martin, recipient of the Mark Twain Prize, right, jokes with fellow actor Martin Short as they arrive for Martin's award ceremony, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2005, at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. PBS is to air the tribute Nov. 9.

Singer and actress Queen Latifah talks about Steve Martin Sunday, Oct. 23, 2005, in Washington, D.C. Among those saluting the versatile performer were actors Tom Hanks, Lily Tomlin, Diane Keaton, Martin Short and Claire Danes and musicians Paul Simon and Randy Newman.

The Kennedy Center awarded actor-writer Martin, seen here on the red carpet, its eighth annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, one of the top comedy prizes in the country. Previous winners are Richard Pryor (1998), Carl Reiner (1999), Jonathan Winters (2000), Whoopi Goldberg (2001), Bob Newhart (2002), Lily Tomlin (2003), and Lorne Michaels (2004).

Actor Larry David gestures to the crowd of onlookers on the red carpet during celebrations honoring Steve Martin at the Kennedy Center Oct. 23, 2005 in Washington, D.C. Martin's colleagues paid tribute in between dozens of clips from his movies and TV appearances.

Actor Martin Short and his wife, Nancy, pause on the red carpet during celebrations honoring Steve Martin at the Kennedy Center Oct. 23, 2005, in Washington, D.C. In his speech, Short called Martin "a genius."

Claire Danes poses on the red carpet during celebrations honoring Steve Martin at the Kennedy Center Oct. 23, 2005. Dane is Martin's co-star in "Shopgirl," a movie written and produced by Martin from his novella of the same name.

Producer Carl Reiner, the 1999 recipient of the Mark Twain Prize, pauses on the red carpet during celebrations honoring this year's prize winner Steve Martin at the Kennedy Center Oct. 23, 2005. Martin started his career in the 1960s writing for the Smothers Brothers and appearing on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show."

Actor Eric Idle and his wife, Tania, walk the red carpet during celebrations honoring Steve Martin at the Kennedy Center Oct. 23, 2005. While hosting "Saturday Night Live" in the 1970s, Martin created several memorable characters including King Tut and one of the two "wild and crazy guys."

Actor Steve Martin gestures to the crowd from his box in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall prior to being honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Oct. 23, 2005 in Washington, D.C. In accepting, Martin mentioned some other awards he had won, including a 1969 writing Emmy for "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour."

Actors Jason Schwartzman and Claire Danes pose together on the red carpet during celebrations honoring Steve Martin at the Kennedy Center Oct. 23, 2005. They co-star with Martin in the movie "Shopgirl" which Martin wrote and produced from his novella. Martin is the author of several plays, novels and humorous magazine pieces. His 1993 play, "Picasso at the Lapin Agile," has been seen all over the world.

Actor Tom Hanks pauses on the red carpet during celebrations honoring Steve Martin at the Kennedy Center Oct. 23, 2005. One of the speakers, Hanks said of Martin, "He redefined comedy by defining the moment of our ascendancy as a generation. As did Charlie Chaplin, as did the Marx Brothers, as did Laurel and Hardy define their own times, Steve Martin defined ours."

Actress Lily Tomlin walks the red carpet during celebrations honoring Steve Martin at the Kennedy Center Oct. 23, 2005. She told the audience Martin's "artistry soars to heights of sublime silliness and divine absurdity."

Actor Eric Idle of Monty Python fame pauses on the red carpet during celebrations honoring Steve Martin at the Kennedy Center Oct. 23, 2005, in Washington, D.C.

Steve Martin teases actor Martin Short while Short and his wife were receiving applause on the red carpet during a photo opportunity at the Kennedy Center Oct. 23, 2005, in Washington, D.C.

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