The "Real Time” host held the 2nd annual Cojones Awards Friday night on his show, and the dangling brass pair went to Garth for continuing to serve Bud Light in his Nashville bar ... even as conservatives boycotted the brew for its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

Bill applauded Garth for taking a stand, because "country singers are beholden to red state fans ... it's why there's no song called, 'She Thinks My Prius Is Sexy.'" Remember, Garth responded to the Bud Light boycott by saying, "If you're an a**hole, there are plenty of other places to go."

And, reminding everyone cancel culture comes from the right and the left, Bill also handed some cojones to Rowling. The 'Harry Potter' author's been ripped for insisting transgender women are not the same as biological women.

Most recently, she ranted about British media coverage of a transgender woman convicted of murdering a man, and several cats. When outlets refused to refer to the killer as transgender, she said, "These are #NotOurCrimes" and "I'm so sick of this s***."

Maher gave her props and agreed with her stance, saying "How many biological women torture cats? None. It's a guy thing."

He also lauded a "body positivity" influencer who decided obesity wasn't healthy, and dropped 60 lbs. -- and Dartmouth College President Sian Beilock for bringing back the SAT for admissions.

Shiny balls aside, Bill also had Oscar nominee Robert De Niro on to chat about Donald Trump's surging popularity. Of course, Bobby D might be the most vocal Trump hater on the planet, and he said if you want to "live in a nightmare, vote for Trump, and you'll get the nightmare."

He also predicted a fascist regime if Trump wins again ... as he warned Bill that Trump would take his show off the air, and also come looking for De Niro himself.