By Brook Joyner and Kyle Almond, CNN
Adam Sandler is the 2023 recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
The actor and former "Saturday Night Live" star joins a prestigious list of past winners, including Tina Fey, Steve Martin, Carol Burnett, Eddie Murphy and Dave Chappelle.
"Adam Sandler has entertained audiences for over three decades with his films, music and his tenure as a fan favorite cast member on 'SNL,' " Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter said. "Adam has created characters that have made us laugh, cry, and cry from laughing."
Sandler's award ceremony will air Sunday at 8 p.m. ET, exclusively on CNN.

A 17-year-old Sandler in his high school yearbook picture. Sandler grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire, and graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 1988.
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Sandler does a standup routine at the Comic Strip in New York in 1987.
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Sandler made his first television appearance in 1987, appearing on a few episodes of "The Cosby Show" as a friend of the Huxtable family. With him in this scene, from left, are Troy Winbush, Dennis Singletary and Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
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Sandler, top left, poses with other members of the "Saturday Night Live" cast in 1992. Before he joined the cast, Sandler was a writer for the show. With him in the top row, from left, are David Spade, Ellen Cleghorne, Kevin Nealon, Phil Hartman and Tim Meadows. In the second row are Chris Rock, Julia Sweeney, Dana Carvey and Rob Schneider. At the bottom are Chris Farley, Al Franken and Melanie Hutsell.
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Sandler plays the character Opera Man during a "Saturday Night Live" skit that aired in 1993.
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Sandler, next to Norm Macdonald, plays "The Chanukah Song" during an "SNL" episode in 1994. The comedic song, which talks about Hanukkah and famous people who are (and are not) Jewish, would later go on to be released as a single. It was certified gold.
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Sandler capitalized off his "SNL" fame to star in movies, including the 1995 film "Billy Madison."
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Sandler sits with a goat in the back of a pickup truck in 1995. "The Goat" was a popular skit off his comedy album "What the Hell Happened to Me?"
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Sandler famously sparred with game-show host Bob Barker in his 1996 film "Happy Gilmore."
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From left, Farley, Rock, Sandler and Spade pose for a photo in 1997.
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Sandler stars in the 1998 comedy "The Wedding Singer."
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Sandler stars with Henry Winkler in 1998's "The Waterboy."
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Sandler played opposite Cole and Dylan Sprouse in 1999's "Big Daddy."
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From left, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Sandler, Emily Watson and director Paul Thomas Anderson attend a screening of their dramatic film "Punch-Drunk Love" while attending the Cannes Film Festival in 2002. The movie marked a change in Sandler's career path and showed he could do more than just comedy.
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Sandler speaks after he was named Male Star of the Year during the ShoWest Convention in March 2003. ShoWest is now known as CinemaCon.
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Sandler married model-actress Jackie Titone in June 2003. They have two daughters together.
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Sandler and Drew Barrymore shoot a scene for the 2004 movie "50 First Dates."
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Sandler leaves his handprints at the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood in May 2005.
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Sandler throws a pitch at Yankee Stadium before a Major League Baseball game in New York in May 2005. At right are Chris Rock and Yankees pitcher Carl Pavano.
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Sandler, Rock and Spade join other friends and relatives of Farley as the late actor was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in August 2005.
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Sandler stars with Christopher Walken in the 2006 comedy "Click."
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Sandler attends the premiere of the film "Reign Over Me" in 2007.
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Sandler performs "Nobody Does It Better," the theme from the 1977 James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me," at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards. Sandler was being honored with the MTV Generation Award.
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Sandler and Spade go down a water slide in the 2010 comedy "Grown Ups."
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Sandler is joined by his daughters, Sunny and Sadie, as he is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011.
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Sandler accepts the People's Choice Award for favorite comic movie actor in 2012.
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Basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal gives Sandler a lift at the "Grown Ups 2" premiere in 2013.
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Sandler greets fans in Berlin at the premiere of the film "Blended" in 2014.
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Sandler and his wife, Jackie, attend the "Pixels" premiere in July 2015.
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Sandler mounts a horse while appearing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to promote his new Western comedy, "The Ridiculous 6," in November 2015.
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Sandler plays in a celebrity wheelchair basketball game during the Angel City Games in 2016.
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Sandler is joined by Emma Thompson, Ben Stiller, director Noah Baumbach and Dustin Hoffman as they arrive for a screening of "The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)" at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017.
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Sandler returns to "Saturday Night Live" to host the show in May 2019.
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Sandler poses for a portrait with his "Uncut Gems" co-directors Benny and Josh Safdie in September 2019. Sandler received critical acclaim for his performance and later won the Independent Spirit Award for best male lead.
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Sandler accepts his Independent Spirit Award in 2020.
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Sandler appears with NBA star Juancho Hernangomez in the 2022 Netflix film "Hustle."
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Sandler speaks on stage at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in March 2023.
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Sandler receives the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in March 2023.
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