The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced that Ellen DeGeneres will receive the Carol Burnett Award at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
DeGeneres is the second recipient of the award, the first having been its namesake, Carol Burnett, who was honored in January. The award is chosen by the HFPA board of directors and presented annually to a person who has made “outstanding contributions to the television medium on or off the screen.”It is equivalent to the organization’s film accolade counterpart, the Cecil B. DeMille Award.
DeGeneres is being honored for her career which began as an emcee at a local comedy club in her hometown of New Orleans. Her standup career led to her 1990s comedy series “Ellen,” during which she became the first lead actor in a sitcom to come out as gay. She has hosted her popular daytime talk show “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” for 17 years and announced in May that she recently extended her contract to host the show through 2022. In addition, DeGeneres has been a champion for LGBTQ rights, and in 2018 established The Ellen Fund, which supports global conservation efforts for critically endangered species.
NBC will broadcast the 77th Golden Globes live on Sunday, January 5, 2020
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