Kevin Hart became emotional as he accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday night.
The 44-year-old star became the 25th comedian to be bestowed with the Kennedy Center’s annual honor, which recognizes the greats in American comedy.
Kevin Hart became emotional as he took to the stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. to accept the honor.
He thanked God, his team, his mentors and collaborators, his wife, and his mother, saying, “Take my mom away, and I don’t have an idea of what I want or who I want to be.”
Kevin Hart also choked up as he thanked his four children, adding, “I breathe for you. I live for you.”
Reflecting on his journey with comedy, he said, “I didn’t start out doing what I started to do to get the awards. I fell in love with the idea of comedy. It made me say, ‘Oh, my God, I fell in love with something I can do for the rest of my life.’ That’s the win. I committed to comedy. I committed to saying that it’s either this or nothing else. All my eggs are in this basket.”
With the win, Hart followed in the footsteps of previous recipients Richard Pryor, Carol Burnett, Tina Fey, Dave Chappelle, Jon Stewart and Adam Sandler, among others.
The “Ride Along” star was honored with appearances by Chappelle, Nick Cannon, Tiffany Haddish, Jerry Seinfeld, Regina Hall, Chris Rock, and Chelsea Handler.
Jimmy Fallon also sang an original country song and Robin Thicke and Nelly performed together.
The show will be broadcast on Netflix on May 11.