Carol Burnett To Receive First TV Lifetime Achievement Award At 2019 Golden Globes

Congratulations are in order for legendary comedian Carol Burnett!

On Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced on the Today show that the TV veteran would be the first recipient of the TV Lifetime Achievement Award, a.k.a. the Carol Burnett Award, at the 2019 Golden Globes. 

"For more than 50 years, comedy trailblazer Carol Burnett has been breaking barriers while making us laugh," HFPA President Meher Tatna later released in a statement (via Variety). "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." 

Tatna continued, "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."

At the time of this writing, Burnett, who already has five Golden Globes to her name, has yet to publicly comment on her latest honor. However, while speaking about her legacy with Entertainment Tonight this past summer, the 85-year-old entertainer simply said she hopes audiences will say, "She made me smile. She made me laugh when I was down."

As Nicki Swift previously reported, the HFPA first announced that the upcoming Golden Globes ceremony would introduce a new special achievement award in TV when this year's nominations for the award show, which honors the very best in film and television, were revealed late last week. The honor will be television's equivalent to the film category's Cecil B. DeMille Award, which was previously given to Oprah Winfrey in early 2018.

With The Assassination of Gianni Versace leading the pack in television with four nominations, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Barry, Homecoming, and The Americans all scored three. Meanwhile, Vice led the film category with six noms, with A Star Is Born, Green Book, and The Favourite following closely behind with five nods each. 

Additionally, actor Idris Elba's teen daughter, Isan Elba, will serve as the Golden Globe Ambassador for 2019 to help highlight association's ongoing philanthropic efforts. 

The 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards, co-hosted by Killing Eve star Sandra Oh and Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Andy Samberg, will air live from the Beverly Hilton at 8 p.m. EST on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019.