Comedian Trevor Noah wins prestigious Dutch Erasmus Prize

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Comedian Trevor Noah, the former host of ‘The Daily Show,’ has won the prestigious Dutch Erasmus Prize, becoming the first comedian to receive the honor since Charlie Chaplin in 1965, a announced the foundation that selects the winner. THURSDAY.

The prize is named after the Dutch humanist philosopher and scholar Desiderius Erasmus, who lived from 1466 to 1536.

The Praemium Erasmianum Foundation said in a statement that Noah, 39, received the award “for his inspired contribution to the theme ‘In Praise of Folly’, named after Erasmus’ most famous book, which is filled with humor, social criticism and political satire.

The foundation added: “With his quick-witted, mocking yet inclusive political comedy, Noah, in the eyes of the jury, upholds ‘the Erasmian spirit’.”

Noah, who rose to fame as a stand-up comedian in his native South Africa, announced last year that he was leaving Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show’ after a seven-year run.

The Dutch foundation noted that Noah’s time anchoring the satirical late-night talk show coincided with Donald Trump’s presidency, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.

“With his astute reflections on these issues, he appealed to a young, diverse and global audience and, in doing so, breathed a breath of fresh air into a highly polarized media landscape,” the foundation said.

The prize, with a cash prize of €150,000, is awarded annually to “a person or institution who has made an outstanding contribution to the humanities, social sciences or the arts, in Europe and beyond”. , according to the foundation.

Previous winners include dissident playwright and former President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, British artist Grayson Perry and the online dictionary Wikipedia.

A ceremony to present the award to Noah is planned for the fall.