The Carol Burnett Award was created as the television counterpart to the HFPA's Cecil B. DeMille Award, which honors the lifetime achievements of those artists working in film. The new accolade will be presented annually to an honoree who has made outstanding contributions to television on- or offscreen.

Burnett, who has won five Golden Globes in her career, will accept the honor at the awards ceremony Sunday, Jan. 6, at the Beverly Hilton.

"For more than 50 years, comedy trailblazer Carol Burnett has been breaking barriers while making us laugh," said HFPA president Meher Tatna. "She was the first woman to host a variety sketch show, The Carol Burnett Show. She was also the first woman to win both the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and Kennedy Center Honors. And now we add another first to her running list: the first recipient — and namesake — of the new Golden Globe top honor for achievement in television, the Carol Burnett Award. We are profoundly grateful for her contributions to the entertainment industry and honored to celebrate her legacy forever at the Golden Globes."

In addition to her numerous Golden Globe wins, Burnett's Carol Burnett Show also received 25 Emmy Awards during its run, making it one of the most honored shows in television history. The performer herself has been awarded Emmys, People’s Choice Awards, the Horatio Alger Award, an Ace Award, the Peabody, a Grammy and the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for Humor, as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Burnett has also been inducted into the Television Hall of Fame, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has an intersection near Hollywood High School, her alma mater, named after her.

Produced by Dick Clark Productions in association with the HFPA, the Golden Globe Awards will air on NBC at 5 p.m. Jan. 6.