Comedian-actor Eddie Murphy will receive the inaugural “Comedy Icon Award” at the 1st annual The Comedy Awards.The distinguished award will be presented annually to a modern icon, an individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to comedy and whose impact and innovations have changed the landscape and inspired future generations of entertainers. Murphy will be honored for his work in stand-up, sketch, film and television, among other numerous pioneering achievements.
Murphy’s comic talent was evident from an early age. By 15 he was writing and performing his own routines at youth centers, local bars, and his high school auditorium. Eventually, Murphy made it to a Manhattan showcase, The Comic Strip. In 1980, at the age of 19, Murphy joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live,” where he quickly became a featured player. By the end of his first season, he had moved up to star status. Murphy went on to have a successful stand-up and film career that has spanned 30 years and includes box-office hits such as “48 Hrs.,” “Delirious,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Raw,” “Trading Places,” “Coming to America,” “The Nutty Professor” and “Shrek” franchises, and the critically acclaimed “Dreamgirls,” for which he received the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Drama and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
The “Comedy Icon Award” along with the previously announced “Johnny Carson Award For Comedic Excellence” will premiere on Sunday, April 10, 2011, simultaneously across MTV Networks’ COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, VH1 and Nick At Nite.
The Comedy Awards has also confirmed that presenters and attendees include comedy stars, Tina Fey, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Tracy Morgan, Matt Stone, Trey Parker, Ty Burrell, Louis C.K., Stephen Colbert, Rob Corddry, Bill Hader, Chloe Moretz, Craig Robinson, Andy Samberg and Kristen Wiig, with further talent announcements forthcoming.
