Carol Burnett is already a legend in the hearts and minds of TV fans everywhere, but now the Golden Globes are making it official.
The comedian is set to receive the inaugural Golden Globe television special achievement award named in her honor at the 76th annual ceremony in January for her outstanding contributions to television on and off the screen, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced on Tuesday.
The TV-focused annual award, which was first announced earlier this month when the HFPA revealed nominations for this year’s ceremony, is envisioned as an equivalent to its film counterpart, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, which Oprah was awarded in January.
“Honorees will be selected based on their outstanding accomplishments, as well as the impact and influence that their television career has had on the industry and audiences,” HFPA President Meher Tatna said in a statement. “Future recipients will be chosen based on their body of work and the lasting impact that their television career achievements have had on both the industry and audiences.”
The Carol Burnett Award, as it will be known henceforth, will be the first special achievement award to be introduced into the ceremony since the DeMille Award was originally presented in 1952.
“For more than 50 years, comedy trailblazer Carol Burnett has been breaking barriers while making us laugh,” Tatna continued. “She was the first woman to host a variety sketch show, ‘The Carol Burnett Show.’ She was also the first woman to win both the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and Kennedy Center Honors. And now we add another first to her running list: the first recipient ― and namesake ― of the new Golden Globe top honor for achievement in television, the Carol Burnett Award. We are profoundly grateful for her contributions to the entertainment industry and honored to celebrate her legacy forever at the Golden Globes.”
The 85-year-old is already a five-time Golden Globe winner for her work on the beloved “Carol Burnett Show” and stands as the most decorated of all time in the television category. In 2017, CBS aired a 50th anniversary special of the variety show, which drew massive ratings and even bigger stars.
Burnett has also received 23 Emmy nominations, a Grammy, a Life Achievement Award at the 2016 Screen Actors Guild Awards (where she was lovingly introduced by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler) and a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The 76th annual ceremony, which airs Jan. 6 on NBC, will be hosted by Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg.