Mel Brooks was offered Kennedy Center honors in early-mid 2000s. However, feeling that he had enough awards already (he's an EGOT - winner of an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony) and not being a particular fan of then-president George W. Bush, he demurred. He told the Kennedy Center that he'd really prefer to receive their honors from another president, and asked if they could hold off a few years. They obliged. He was honored by the Kennedy Center on December 5, 2009.
Source: David Bianculli's interview with Mel Brooks on 5/20/2013, Fresh Air with Terry Gross; interview taken from the PBS American Masters documentary "Make A Noise"
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