Plot Synopsis

THE COMEDY AWARDS honor today's best comedic performances in film, television, sketch and online media, while also paying tribute to career achievements by bestowing the Comedy Icon Award and the Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence. Winners for most categores are selected by a voting body comprised of professionals, including producers, writers, performers, directors and stand-ups, while fans are asked to vote in online categories like Breakthrough Performer and Best Viral Original. On March 26, 2011 at the inaugural ceremony at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, winners were announced, Bill Murray honored David Letterman with the Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence, and Tracy Morgan presented Eddie Murphy with the Comedy Icon Award. That first awards ceremony was shown on Comedy Central on Sunday, April 10, 2011 at 9pm ET/PT and was simulcast on multiple MTV Networks, including Spike TV, CMT, LOGO, TV Land and VH1. After being held one week earlier at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC, Comedy Central aired the second annual awards on Sunday, May 7, 2012 at 9pm ET, with Robert De Niro and Jon Stewart presenting Don Rickles with the "Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence" and Patton Oswalt presenting Robin Williams with the "Stand-Up Icon Award."