Comedian Trevor Noah Wins Prestigious Dutch Erasmus Prize

Netherlands’ THE HAGUE — Former “The Daily Show” presenter and comedian Trevor Noah was awarded the prestigious Dutch Erasmus Prize, making him the first humorist to get the accolade since Charlie Chaplin in 1965, according to the foundation that chooses the laureate.

Desiderius Erasmus, a Dutch philosopher and humanist scholar from 1466 to 1536, is honored by the award’s name.

Noah, 39, was awarded the prize “for his creative contribution to the theme ‘In Praise of Folly,’ named after Erasmus’ most well-known work, full of humor, social criticism, and political satire,” according to a statement from the Premium Erasmianum Foundation.

The foundation continued: “Nathan, in the jury’s eyes, upholds the ‘Erasmian Spirit’ with his sharp-minded, satirical yet inclusive political humor.”

Noah, 39, was awarded the prize “for his creative contribution to the theme ‘In Praise of Folly.

After seven years on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” Noah, who first gained notoriety as a stand-up comedian in his native South Africa, announced last year that he was departing.

According to the Dutch organization, the Black Lives Matter movement, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Noah’s tenure as host of the satirical late-night talk show all occurred during his tenure.

Infusing fresh air into a fiercely divisive media scene, he attracted a young, varied, and worldwide following with his perceptive views on such problems, the foundation claimed.

Each year, “a person or institution that has made an exceptional contribution to the humanities, the social sciences, or the arts, in Europe and beyond,” according to the foundation, receives the award, which comes with a financial prize of €150,000.

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

The honor will be given to Noah at a ceremony in the fall.

SOURCE – (AP)