Prestigious Award To Be Presented During The Second Annual Event Honoring The Best In Comedy
Show Tapes At New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom on Saturday, April 28 And Premieres on COMEDY CENTRAL On Sunday, May 6
NEW YORK, March 21,
2012 -- "The Comedy Awards," the annual event dedicated to honoring and
celebrating the world of comedy, announced today that Robin Williams will be honored as the recipient of the
prestigious "Stand-Up Icon" award. This honor is bestowed each year to a modern
icon, an individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to stand-up
comedy and whose impact and innovations have changed the landscape and inspired
future generations of entertainers. Williams will be honored for the
unparalleled scope of his imagination, his repertoire of indelible characters,
and his outstanding work as a stand-up comedian. Eddie
Murphy was the inaugural recipient and he was presented with the honor by Tracy
Morgan during last year's show.
"Robin Williams is a comedic force of nature
whose intensity and explosive free-associating style as a stand-up comedian made
him a superstar," said Casey Patterson, Executive
Producer, "The Comedy Awards" and EVP, Event Production, Viacom Entertainment
Group. "Academy Award-winner, beloved TV star and passionate activist, Robin
used stand-up comedy to literally change the world with 'Comic Relief.' Robin
Williams is more than an ICON...he is one of the most important comedic voices
of our time. We're thrilled, and just a little bit scared, to be honoring Robin
at 'The Comedy Awards' this year."
The "Stand-Up Icon" award will be presented during the taping of the event at
New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom on Saturday, April 28 and the show will premiere on COMEDY
CENTRAL on Sunday, May 6. "The Comedy Awards" will
also air on COMEDY CENTRAL's international channels across Europe, New Zealand,
India, Israel and
Africa.
An Academy Award-winning actor and multiple Grammy-winning performer
unparalleled in the scope of his imagination, Robin
Williams began his career as a stand-up comedian, delighting audiences
across the country with the beginnings of what would become his renowned
repertoire of indelible characters. Throughout his legendary career as a star
of stage and screen, Williams has returned to his stand-up roots, most recently
with his critically-acclaimed, sold-out, "Weapons of Self Destruction" comedy
tour during which Williams performed 90 shows in 65 cities in front of 300,000
fans across the U.S., as well as London and Canada.
Well known for his free-associative monologues and for pointing out life's
absurdities through his astute social and political observations, Williams'
previous comedy tour was in 2002. After a 16-year absence from the stand-up
scene, he hit the road and toured America with a critically acclaimed one-man
show that became the highest-grossing comedy tour ever and culminated in a final
performance filmed by HBO and broadcast live from New
York on July 14, 2002. The special, entitled
"Robin Williams: Live On Broadway," was nominated
for five Emmy Awards.
Offstage, Williams takes great joy in supporting causes too numerous to
identify, covering the spectrum from health care and human rights, to education,
environmental protection, and the arts. He has toured the Middle East with the USO a total of five times,
including visits to Iraq and Afghanistan, to help raise morale among the troops and
is, perhaps, best known philanthropically for his affiliation with "Comic
Relief," which was founded in 1986 as a non-profit organization to help
America's homeless. To date, the overall efforts of the "Comic Relief"
organization have raised over $50 Million.
A full list of previously
announced nominees for the 2012 "The Comedy Awards" and more information
about the show and its prestigious Board of Directors can be found at www.thecomedyawards.com. "Modern Family," "Bridesmaids," "30
Rock," "Crazy, Stupid, Love." and Louis C.K. lead the nominations and fans can
vote for "Breakout Performer of the Year." Click here to view a highlight reel
from last year's show.
Follow "The Comedy Awards" on Twitter @TheComedyAwards.
"The Comedy Awards" has once again joined forces with the Entertainment
Industry Foundation (EIF) to endow The American Comedy Fund. Without a union or other
protection, many comedians face unique challenges to succeed and survive. The
Fund provides much-needed financial assistance, health benefits and other
resources for comedians across the country during times of need, crisis or
transition. The American Comedy Fund is administered by EIF in collaboration
with the Motion Picture & Television Fund and The Actors Fund.
Don Mischer, Casey
Patterson, EVP, Event Production, Viacom Entertainment Group and Charlie Haykel are the Executive Producers. Juliane Hare is Producer. Beth
McCarthy Miller, the Peabody and DGA Award-winning and Emmy-nominated
Director, will once again direct "The Comedy Awards." "The American Comedy
Awards" were originally created by George
Schlatter.
SOURCE COMEDY CENTRAL Corporate Communications
