WASHINGTON — American entertainer Ellen DeGeneres received the highest US award for achievement in comedy on Monday. Receiving the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center, the national showcase for arts, DeGeneres was praised as a pioneering female comic whose edgy variety show has helped define the format for daytime television in recent years. The Twain prize, named after the 19th century satirist, is the nation's highest honor for achievements in comedy. A native of New Orleans, DeGeneres spent her twenties as an itinerant comedian on the Los Angeles nightclub circuit until prominent spots on late night television led to her own primetime sitcom. The original show, Ellen, featured DeGeneres in the lead role as a bookshop owner in an idiosyncratic neighborhood. She later returned to the standup stage, and hosted the 2001 Emmy awards. Several guests said that DeGeneres brought a compassion to her comedy that is rare in the field. “The rest of us comics come from really messed-up, dark childhoods. She might have come from that, I don't know. But it's not what she puts forth,” said John Leguizamo, who joined the tributes. “She just puts out this beautiful goodwill.” DeGeneres is the fourth woman to receive the award since its inception in 1998. Comedian and actor Will Ferrell won last year. Past award winners have included Bob Newhart, Steve Martin, Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby. — Reuters
