Tina Fey

Tina Fey (bestcelebrityhairstyles.com)

Tina Fey is undoubtedly funny!

She got lots of laughter and praises after doing a parody of former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, but the comedy blood that runs in her veins was proven even more on Tuesday night, when the comedienne was presented with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in Washington, D.C.

Lots of comedians showed up at The Kennedy Center to honor Fey, including her former “Saturday Night Live” friends and her fellow “30 Rock”-ers. “Tina. Well, that’s a funny name for a man,” Alec Baldwin said about Fey, sporting a Mark Twain mustache, said in a southern drawl. Women don’t usually win his namesake prize, he said, because “their brains aren’t shaped right.”

“She is a very funny person, but she’s surprisingly down-to-earth as well,” Steve Carell, her “Date Night” co-star said. “Isn’t it refreshing to find a comedian who is both really good and funny looking?” Steve Martin added. “You can’t learn talent, but you can learn worth ethic,” said Seth Meyers, who took over the head writer position at SNL after Fey left. “She’s the hardest worker. She’s an assassin.”

40-year-old Fey thanked all of the stars who traveled across the country to honor her. She said, “It means so much to me that you care about showbiz more than your families. I never thought I’d ever qualify for the Mark Twain prize. … Maybe the Judy Blume prize for awkward puberty.” Blume is a contemporary novelist whose books are popular among teenagers.

The Mark Twain Prize, established in 1998, recognizes artists who have had an impact on society comparable to the 19th century satirist and writers of novels “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. Fey is the 13th person to receive the Twain Prize and only the third woman, besides Lily Tomlin and Whoopi Goldberg. She is also the youngest person to ever win.

Congrats, Tina!

history of mark twain award for american humor, impact of Tina Fey, the mark twain prize