Norman Lear to receive the Carol Burnett Award at the 2021 Golden Globes

The creator of All in the Family and One Day at a Time will be the third recipient of this award.

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Published on January 28, 2021 10:02AM EST

Television pioneer Norman Lear, the creator of shows like All in the Family and The Jeffersons, will become the third recipient of the Carol Burnett Award at this year's Golden Globes ceremony, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced Thursday.

Carol Burnett was honored with the inaugural lifetime achievement award in 2019 for her outstanding contributions to the television medium. Ellen DeGeneres became the second recipient in 2020.

"Norman Lear is among the most prolific creators of this generation," HFPA President Ali Sar said in a statement. "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."

Jane Fonda will be honored with the film equivalent of this award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

Lear has won many Golden Globes himself. Maude, Sanford and Son, Good Times, One Day at a Time, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman are among his lauded career creations for the small screen. And now many of them are getting reimagined. Lear served as an executive producer on the recent One Day at a Time series, which ran for four seasons. Thanks to a deal with Sony TV, many of Lear's classic works could receive similar treatments. An animated revival of Good Times is on its way to Netflix.

Lear began his career in 1950 when he wrote and produced programs like The Colgate Comedy Hour and The Martha Raye Show. He then co-founded Tandem Productions and took on executive producer, writer, and director roles.

The 78th annual Golden Globes will air live on NBC Sunday, Feb. 28 from 5-8 p.m. PT/8-11 p.m. ET.

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