American television star and political commentator Jon Stewart has been named winner of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The award is presented by the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. It honors people who have influenced others in the field of the performing arts. Stewart, whose birth name is Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, is 59 years old. He rose to fame as a standup comedian and host of several talk shows. His popularity grew most after he joined The Daily Show in 1999. He hosted the satirical news program for 16 years on the Comedy Central television channel. Through exploration and sharply funny criticism of politics and culture, Stewart came to influence what many people thought about some issues in the United States.