Stichting Erasmian Prize
AMSTERDAM, March 16, 2023 (Reuters) /PRNewswire/
The Praemium Erasmianum Foundation has awarded the 2023 Erasmus Prize to the South African comedian Trevor Noah (b. 1984). He receives the award for his inspirational contribution to the theme “In Praise of Folly”, named after Erasmus’ most famous book, which is full of humor, social criticism and political satire. With his sharp, mocking and yet inclusive political comedy, Noah holds in the eyes of the Jury praised the “Erasmian spirit”.
Trevor Noah is a South African comedian of international stature. As a humorist, television presenter, political commentator, philanthropist and author, he has firmly established himself in the world of contemporary political satire. In his autobiography “Born a Crime”, Noah describes how, as the child of a black Xhosa mother and a white Swiss father during the apartheid era, he was confronted with institutionalized racism and violence at an early age. Instead of reacting with cynicism to injustice, he exposed it Noah their absurdities and fights these struggles with the liberating power of laughter.
Noah broke through at a young age with his “stand-up comedy.” His solo shows, including The Daywalker (2009), Crazy Normal (2011), That’s Racist (2012) and It’s My Culture (2013), quickly became very popular in South Africa and beyond. After his early success, he proved to be an inspiration for budding talent and a curator of comedy shows in Africa. The emergence of a new generation of socially engaged black comedians in South Africa dealing with racism and the legacy of colonialism was soon dubbed the “Trevor Noah effect”.
Since 2011, Noah has been based in the United States, where his talent for challenging the establishment has not gone unnoticed. Beginning in 2015, he moderated for seven years The Daily Show, the world’s most popular satirical television show. Noah’s time at The Daily Show coincided with the rise of fake news, Donald Trump’s presidency, the Covid-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter following the murder of George Floyd. He won over a young, diverse and global audience with his astute reflections on such issues, bringing a breath of fresh air to a highly polarized media landscape. In the 65-year history of the Erasmus Prize, only once has a humorist received the award: in 1965, Charlie Chaplin received the award from His Highness Prince Bernhard. The quote“The function of comedy is to heighten our sensitivity to the perversions of justice in the society in which we live” is known to be attributed to Chaplin, but this observation applies equally to Noah and his work.
The Erasmus Prize is awarded annually to a person or institution that has made an exceptional contribution to the humanities, social sciences or the arts. His Majesty the King is the patron of the foundation. The Erasmus Prize is endowed with €150,000. The prize will be awarded in autumn 2023.
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Press contact:
Dr. Shanti van Dam,
Director / +31 20 6752753 / [email protected],
www.erasmusprijs.org
Original content from: Stichting Praemium Erasmianum, transmitted by news aktuell
