David Letterman and his giant beard just got the perfect prize

David Letterman may be retired but his sense of humor will continue to inspire the world for years to come.

On Tuesday, the man who made it a point to come out of retirement simply to roast President Trump was named the recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, a prestigious award granted by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

As a legendary member of the beloved late night television lineup for over 33 years, Letterman -- a writer, performer, and producer -- retired from CBS’s Late Show in 2015, and since then he's accomplished some truly impressive things like becoming a climate change correspondent for National Geographic and experimenting with a beard.

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Anyone who appreciates good comedy can see that the longest-running late night broadcaster in American history truly deserves this honor, so it's no surprise that Letterman's fans celebrated him on Twitter.

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According to the New York Times, Deborah F. Rutter, the president of the Kennedy Center, said Letterman's comedy "was smart, authentic and, frankly, what many of us came to rely upon to elevate our spirits after a long day."

And as for Letterman himself, he sounds truly humbled by the achievement. In a very Letterman statement, he said, "This is an exciting honor. For 33 years, there was no better guest, no greater friend of the show, than Mark Twain. The guy could really tell a story."

And in case the comedian somehow has any doubts as to how awesome he is, he'll be joining past award recipients like Tina Fey, Ellen DeGeneres, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, and Jay Leno, which should feel prettttttttty good.

The prize will be awarded in a ceremony on Oct. 22 and broadcast at a later date, but until then you can get psyched by re-watching this clip of Letterman at last year's awards.

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