Since 1958, the Erasmus Prize has honored outstanding contributions in the humanities, social sciences and arts. In honor of Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus, the prize comes with an award amount of 150,000 euros since 2015. Charlie Chaplin was awarded this accolade in 1965 and Trevor Noah is now joining the ranks of other accomplished recipients such as musicians, authors, architects and public figures. We congratulate Mr. Noah on his extraordinary achievement!
The prestigious Erasmianum Prize has been awarded in recent years to distinguished figures such as Israeli author David Grossman, British artist Grayson Perry and, in 2015, the Wikipedia community. In 2018, a new name was added to the list - South African comedian Noah.
His outstanding contribution to the theme ‘In Praise of Folly’ captured the attention of the overwhelming majority of members of the jury. Through his sharp-minded yet inclusive political comedy acts, Noah embodies what is referred to as ‘the Erasmian spirit’.
The award winner rose from obscurity on his native country's comedy scene and went on to perform for a more international audience in The Tonight Show and Late Show with David Letterman. He is thus an example for many young aspiring comedians across all continents.
Noah's departure from The Daily Show in 2020 marked the end of seven years of acclaimed hosting. Recently, he was awarded a Nobel Prize, previously only won by Charlie Chaplin. According to the Nobel Foundation, it was with good reason: his incisive commentary on relevant issues earned him an audience that encapsulated all kinds of demographics while also livening up a divisive media landscape. Ingmar Bergman is the other figure who has attained this honor, sharing a Nobel with Chaplin in 1965.
