HOLLYWOOD (CelebrityAccess) – Ellen DeGeneres will receive the Carol Burnett Award at the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards, The Hollywood Foreign Press announced Monday (Nov. 4).
The three-time Golden Globe nominee and beloved household name is the second recipient to be honored with the accolade, the first having been Burnett herself.
Chosen by the HFPA Board of Directors, the Carol Burnett Award is presented annually to an honoree who has made outstanding contributions to the television medium on or off the screen. Equivalent to its film accolade counterpart, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, the top honor was first introduced at the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
DeGeneres’ career in television took off after being offered a part in “These Friends of Mine” on ABC. Following the first season, the show was renamed “Ellen.” Running from 1994 to 1998, the show garnered record ratings with DeGeneres receiving multiple Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations. In 1997, DeGeneres was the recipient of the coveted Peabody Award and earned a Primetime Emmy Award for writing the critically acclaimed “Puppy Episode” where her character came out as a gay woman to a record 46 million viewers.
Later in 2003, DeGeneres made the leap to daytime with her hit syndicated talk show, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” which is now in its seventeenth season. The show has earned a total of 63 Daytime Emmy® Awards, including 11 for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show crowning it the record holder in this category.
“The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is delighted to honor Ellen DeGeneres with the Carol Burnett Award,” said Lorenzo Soria, President of the HFPA. “From her sitcoms, to stand-up, to becoming a household staple on daytime television, she is a pioneer who has captivated audiences for nearly 25 years with her undeniable charm and wit. In addition to her television success, she’s an advocate and philanthropist, lending her voice to those who don’t have one, and spreading kindness and joy through the power of her platform. We look forward to celebrating her achievements at this year’s ceremony.”
DeGeneres is already a recipient of two of the most prestigious honors in the United States – the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
She will accept the award during the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 5, 2020, which will air live coast-to-coast from 5:00-8:00 p.m. PT/8:00-11:00 p.m. ET on NBC.
