The host for this year’s Kennedy Center Honors, to be televised Dec. 30 by CBS, will be Comedy Central late-night veteran Stephen Colbert, The Hollywood Reporter’s Live Feed reports.

“I am stunned to be receiving a Kennedy Center Honor at such a young age,” Colbert said in a statement. “I thought it would be years before … I’m sorry. I’m being told I am HOSTING the Kennedy Center Honors. Oh … Well, I’m glad. That makes a lot more sense.”

Colbert will be wrapping up his Comedy Central program “The Colbert Report” earlier in December before taking over for the retiring David Letterman on CBS’s “Late Show” next year.

This year’s Kennedy Center honorees include Tom Hanks, Lily Tomlin and Patricia McBride, the story notes.