Entertainment

Golden Globes Announces Carol Burnett Award

December 11, 2018 / 10:22 AM EST / CBS Detroit

NEW YORK (AP) — The Golden Globe Awards will introduce a new TV special achievement trophy at next month's telecast and name it after its first recipient — comedic icon Carol Burnett.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association said Tuesday the Carol Burnett Award — the small-screen version of the group's film counterpart, the Cecil B. DeMille Award — will annually honor someone "who has made outstanding contributions to television on or off the screen."

HOLLYWOOD, CA - JUNE 05: Actress Carol Burnett speaks during AFI's Conservatory Commencement Ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre on June 5, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for AFI)

The first Carol Burnett Award will, fittingly, go to Burnett, a five-time Golden Globe winner who was the first woman to host a variety sketch show, "The Carol Burnett Show," which ran for 11 years and received 25 Emmy Awards.
The 85-year-old Burnett will be on hand to accept her namesake award during the Jan. 6 ceremony, live on NBC.
In a statement, association President Meher Tatna hailed Burnett for breaking barriers while making us laugh. "We are profoundly grateful for her contributions to the entertainment industry and honored to celebrate her legacy forever at the Golden Globes," she said.

SANTA MONICA, CA - MARCH 13: (L-R) Actors Harvey Korman, Lyle Waggoner, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, Carol Burnett, and Designer Bob Mackie accept the Legend Award for "The Carol Burnett Show" onstage at the 2005 TV Land Awards at Barker Hangar on March 13, 2005 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

In addition to her work on TV, theater and movies, Burnett has established several scholarships around the country, including the Carol Burnett Musical Theatre Competition at her alma mater, The University of California, and the Carrie Hamilton Foundation, to honor the memory of her daughter, who died in 2002.

HOLLYWOOD - APRIL 01: Actor Carol Burnett poses with Tim Conway who received the Lifetime Achievement award at the Regent University's School of Communication and the Arts 2nd Annual Candlelight Forum, awards evening held at the DGA Theatre, on April 1, 2008 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

The Globes are making another change this year: the actual award has been redesigned to be taller and heavier. The new design is two pounds heavier and nearly an inch taller and replaces the previous version's marble base with an all-metal design. The iconic design of a globe wrapped in a film strip remains at the top.

UNITED STATES - NOVEMBER 09: Carol Burnett and President George W. Bush at the Freedom Awards Ceremony at the White House in Washington D.C. on November 9, 2005. (Photo by Douglas A. Sonders/Getty Images)