WASHINGTON — The joke was on Jay Leno Sunday night as he received the nation’s top humor prize.

Jimmy Fallon, Jerry Seinfeld and Wanda Sykes celebrated and poked fun at the former “Tonight Show” host as he was given the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

Seth Meyers, Kevin Eubanks and Chelsea Handler also paid tribute.

The show will be broadcast nationally Nov. 23 on PBS.

On the red carpet before the show, Leno said “The Tonight Show” years were the best of his life. He said Fallon is bringing “a new dynamic” to the show and “it’s fun to see it change.”

Leno said the Twain award was set apart from other honors.

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“Some awards shows are so phony … you campaign for them, you make a donation,” Leno said. “This one you have no idea it’s coming.”

Leno said the nation’s capital seems more partisan than it used to be, but he’s not any more drawn to politics.

“Every time I think I’m a Democrat, they do something stupid, and every time I think I’m a Republican, they do something greedy,” he said.

The Mark Twain Prize honors people who have had an impact on American society in the tradition of Samuel Clemens, the writer, satirist and social commentator better known as Mark Twain. Past honorees include Carol Burnett, Ellen DeGeneres, Will Ferrell and Bill Cosby.

Leno built his career in standup comedy and still does more than 100 live performances each year.

He is developing a new TV show about his other great passion: cars. “Jay Leno’s Garage” will premiere on CNBC in 2015.


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