Jay Leno ribbed by fellow comics at Mark Twain Prize ceremony

It was Jay Leno’s turn to be the butt of jokes at Sunday’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor ceremony in Washington.

Chelsea Handler said she was confused that Leno, former host of NBC’s “Tonight Show,” was being honored with a humor prize: “I wasn’t sure what the connection was,” the former E! talk show host joked to the crowd at the Kennedy Center, according to the Associated Press.

The ceremony, which awards a prize that has previously gone to such comics as Tina Fey, George Carlin and Richard Pryor, will be telecast on PBS on Nov. 23.

Leno’s “Tonight Show” successor, Jimmy Fallon, cracked that Leno had done a lot for NBC. “So much that we had to celebrate his career on PBS,” he said.

Even non-comics got in on the act. Country singer Garth Brooks said that success had not given Leno a big head. “Nature did that,” Brooks said.

Last week, Leno announced that he will bring a new car show, “Jay Leno’s Garage,” to CNBC next year.

What do you think of Leno and his latest honor?

Twitter: @scottcollinsLAT