[imagesource:flickr/slgckgc]

Homegrown comedian and son of Patricia, Trevor Noah, has received yet another accolade in the form of the prestigious Erasmus prize in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Wednesday evening.

The Erasmus Prize is awarded by the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation, to “a person or institution that has made an exceptional contribution to the humanities, the social sciences or the arts in Europe and beyond”.

The prize has a whopping R3 million cash component along with the honour.  Noah told the attendees that it was amazing how being a comedian had changed his life.

“It is truly an honour to be standing here as a recipient of this prestigious accolade. And to be honest, it’s really a little unbelievable. Mostly because I never thought there was anything that could bring me to Amsterdam in the winter.”

The comedian went on to say “When I started my career in comedy, I never once dreamed that the tiny stage that I was standing on in Johannesburg would become the first piece of an intricate puzzle that would connect me to people from all over the world. All I wanted, and all I ever hoped for in that moment, was that I could find a way to connect with the 20 people who were sitting in that room. Many of whom were drunk. And to be honest, that’s what comedy is to me, that’s what comedy means to me.”

Thank you for the warm welcome Netherlands! 🇳🇱 It was truly an honour to be awarded the 2023 Erasmus Prize!! 🙏🏽 Special thanks to the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation, His Majesty the King Willem-Alexander, & The Royal Family. Humberto Tan, for the delightful conversation and… pic.twitter.com/7khw7Ngwgp

— Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) November 30, 2023

It is the first time that a South African, let alone a comedian, has won the prize. The foundation said in a statement that Noah was awarded the prize because of his contribution to the theme “In Praise of Folly”, named after Erasmus’ most famous book “filled with humour, social criticism and political satire”.

With his sharp-minded, mocking yet inclusive political comedy, Noah, in the eyes of the jury, upholds the ‘Erasmian Spirit’.

The kid from Soweto is becoming a true South African icon.

[source:sowetan]