MTV today revealed that Academy Award-nominated actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer Sacha Baron Cohen will be honored with the “Comedic Genius Award” at the 2021 “MTV Movie & TV Awards,” airing LIVE from Los Angeles on Sunday, May 16 @ 9PM ET/PT with host Leslie Jones.
Baron Cohen will become only the fourth recipient of the highly-coveted award, which honors an actor who has made incomparable contributions to the world of comedy, providing a major influence through their work and transforming the genre at-large. He joins an impressive roster of past comedic trailblazers who have received the award, including Melissa McCarthy (2016), Kevin Hart (2015) and Will Ferrell (2013).
In addition to receiving this year’s Comedic Genius honor, Baron Cohen is up for three “MTV Movie & TV Awards“: “Best Performance in a Movie” for “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “Best Movie” for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” and “Best Duo” with co-star Maria Bakalova for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.”
Best known for his creation and portrayal of legendary characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, whose appearance in Da Ali G Show earned him two BAFTAs, and Admiral General Aladeen, Baron Cohen has also acted in Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo,” Tom Hooper’s “Les Miserables,” Adam McKay’s “Talladega Nights,” Tim Burton’s “Sweeney Todd,” and provided the voice for King Julien in the Madagascar series.
In 2019 he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his satire “Who is America,” in which he not only got Vice President Dick Cheney to sign a waterboard kid, but led to the end of Jason Spencer’s political career, and in 2020 he was nominated for his dramatic work in “The Spy,” a true story of a Mossad agent.
In 2020, he wowed audiences and critics alike with his work in two timely films: “Borat Subsequent MovieFilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime For Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” for which he won two Golden Globe Awards – for Best Lead Actor Comedy and Best Picture Comedy or Musical – and made Baron Cohen the first person in Golden Globes history to win two awards for the same film character; and in Aaron Sorkin’s “Trial of the Chicago 7,” for which he received Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG nominations for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal as legendary activist Abbie Hoffman. Baron Cohen also won the Writers Guild award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Additionally, Baron Cohen is a founding member and leading voice for Stop Hate for Profit, a coalition that calls out the social media companies who profit from the proliferation of conspiracy theories, racism, and hateful rhetoric on their platforms.
Following Sunday’s LIVE award show, the 2021 “MTV Movie & TV Awards” epic two-night event continues with the inaugural “Movie & TV Awards: UNSCRIPTED,” hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser on Monday, May 17 at 9PM ET/PT. Executive Producers for both the 2021 “MTV Movie & TV Awards” and the “Movie & TV Awards: UNSCRIPTED” are MTV’s Bruce Gillmer, Wendy Plaut, and Vanessa Whitewolf, and Den Of Thieves‘ Jesse Ignjatovic and Barb Bialkowski. Jackie Barba and Alicia Portugal are Executives in Charge of Production and Lisa Lauricella serves as the Music Talent Executive for both events.
Sponsors of the two-night celebration include The Real Cost(TM) (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) and SONIC(R) Drive-In.
For updates and additional information, please visit MTVAwards.mtv.com, follow @MTV on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube, use hashtag #MTVAwards, and follow @MTVAwards on Facebook and Twitter.
