Talk Show Icon Jay Leno Set for Top U.S. Comedy Honor

The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will honor retired "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno with its Mark Twain humor prize at a gala in Washington on October 19, it said Wednesday.

Leno, 64, who stepped down from the long-running NBC show in February after a remarkable 22-year run, will become the first late-night American talk show host to receive the coveted prize.

"What an honor! I'm a big fan of Mark Twain’s. In fact, 'A Tale of Two Cities' is one of my favorite books!," quipped Leno in a Kennedy Center statement, referring to the Charles Dickens classic.

Past recipients include Bill Cosby, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin and Whoopi Goldberg.