Bill Murray has received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humour

Speaking at the ceremony, the 'Ghostbusters' star joked: "My theme tonight is what is it like to be beloved. It's hard to listen to all those people be nice to you. You just get so suspicious.

"There's love, that's what we came with, that's what we go with. I love you, let's try to repeat that to each other.

"When I can't see it any longer, that's when I'm coming down the steps.

"As much as I dreaded this, I really have to come back to this idea: There's love. There's love."

Over the course of the ceremony, a number of stars paid tribute to the 'Groundhog Day' actor, in a show that lasted a full two hours.

'Ghostbusters' director Ivan Reitman said of Murray's acting abilities: "As far as Bill is concerned, rehearsal is for mere mortals. Bill creates something new and wonderful on every take, and this keeps a director on his toes."

Steve Martin - a previous winner of the Mark Twain prize and former co-star of Murray - quipped: "I'd like to say to you, welcome to the club. And to the Kennedy Centre, I'd like to say - really?"

Meanwhile, former talk host David Letterman recalled the time he told the Emmy Award winner that his son was about to be christened, and was sent Murray's own christening gown as a gift.

He said: "That Saturday, my son, in Bill Murray's christening gown, was christened at St. Ignatius in Manhattan, and we have this memory, we have this gift, we have this gesture for the rest of our lives."

The ceremony was recorded and will broadcast on PBS Television on Friday (28.10.16)