MTV announced Wednesday that comedian Will Ferrell will be honored with the MTV Movie Awards’ first annual Comedic Genius Award.
The purpose of the award is to honor an actor who has not only provided a major influence through their work, but also transformed the genre of comedy. From his years on Saturday Night Live (more cowbell, anyone?) and his portrayal of Ron Burgundy in Anchorman, to the creation of comedy website Funny or Die, Ferrell has spent years in the industry doing what he does best: making people laugh.
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“Will Ferrell epitomizes what it means to be a comedic genius and it’s only fitting that he should be the inaugural recipient of this award,” said Stephen Friedman, President of MTV. “Over the course of his extraordinary, 17-plus-year career, he has entertained audiences across the globe with an impressive array of laugh-out-loud performances on air, online and in films. Simply put, Will Ferrell is ‘kind of a big deal’.”
Fans can catch Ferrell in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues later this year.
The full list of MTV Movie Awards nominees -- including the categories “Best Kiss,” “Best Fight,” and “Best Shirtless Performance” -- will be revealed live on Tuesday, March 5, during the 2013 MTV Movie Awards Nominations Spectacular on MTV and MTV.com.
MTV News’ Josh Horowitz will announce the awards, joined by other MTV stars Jenni “JWOWW” Farley (Snooki & JWOWW), Nev Schulman (Catfish), and the cast of Teen Wolf.
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Immediately following the Spectacular, fan voting will begin at MovieAwards.MTV.com.
Hosted by Pitch Perfect’s Rebel Wilson, the 22nd Annual MTV Movie Awards will air live on Sunday, April 14.