Today the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced that Norman Lear will receive the Carol Burnett Award at the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards. The television pioneer and political activist and philanthropist will become the third-ever recipient and accept the honor during the telecast airing on Sunday, February 28 from 5-8PM PT / 8-11PM ET live on NBC.
“Norman Lear is among the most prolific creators of this generation,” said HFPA President Ali Sar. “His career has encompassed both the Golden Age and Streaming Era, throughout which his progressive approach addressing controversial topics through humor prompted a cultural shift that allowed social and political issues to be reflected in television. His work revolutionized the industry and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is honored to name him as the 2021 Carol Burnett Award recipient.”
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. As the television landscape continues to evolve with more thought-provoking programming, diverse roles, and best in class content, the HFPA established the Carol Burnett Award to celebrate the medium’s new Golden Age. Equivalent to its film accolade counterpart, the Cecil B. deMille Award, the top honor was first introduced at the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Previous recipients include Ellen DeGeneres (2020) and its namesake, Carol Burnett (2019).
Lear has had a dynamic career in television and film, and as a political and social activist and philanthropist. He is a World War II combat veteran, 2017 Kennedy Center Honoree, recipient of the National Medal of Arts in 1999, Peabody Lifetime Achievement Award winner in 2016 and a proud member of the inaugural group of inductees to the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1984. He has won six Primetime Emmy Awards.
Lear began his television career in 1950 writing and producing programs, including “The Colgate Comedy Hour” and “The Martha Raye Show” before co-founding Tandem Productions where he took on roles as executive producer, writer, and director for more than two decades. He was nominated for an Academy Award(R) in 1967 for his script for “Divorce American Style.” In 1970, CBS signed with Tandem to produce “All in the Family,” which earned four Emmys for Best Comedy Series, as well as the Peabody Award in 1977. “All in the Family” was followed by a succession of other television hit shows that include “Maude,” “Sanford and Son,” “Good Times,” “The Jeffersons,” “One Day at a Time” and “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.” Lear’s shows were nominated for and won many Golden Globe Awards.
Lear’s social and political activism extends beyond the messaging of his programs and he continues to be a strong advocate for civic duty and progressive American values. In addition to forming People for the American Way (1980), Lear has founded several other non-profit organizations to promote thoughtful citizenship, including the Norman Lear Center at the USC Annenberg School for Communication (2000-present). In 2000, Lear purchased a rare original copy of the Declaration of Independence and founded the Declaration of Independence (DOI) Road Trip to share it with the American people across all 50 states.
Currently, Lear serves as the Chairman of ACTIII Productions. He served as executive producer to the critically acclaimed reimagining of “One Day at a Time,” which ran for four seasons and was the first Netflix series to be renewed for network television. Lear executive produces and co-hosts “LIVE in Front of a Studio Audience… ,” alongside Jimmy Kimmel; the specials set record ratings for ABC and won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special for two consecutive years. In addition to the upcoming feature “, I Carry You With Me,” Lear is executive producing an animated reimagining of “Good Times” coming to Netflix in 2021, as well as the “American Masters” documentary “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It,” which premieres at Sundance this week.
