Just last month, Sacha Baron Cohen was recognized with a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 2021 Oscars for his work as Abbie Hoffman in Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7. As that film landed major awards props, Baron Cohen’s other key 2020 cinematic moment — the resurrection of his most famous character, Borat Sagdiyev, for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm — was likewise highly lauded for its immense comedy, deep irreverence, and political satire. It was a good year to be Baron Cohen.
And the celebration continues: The Academy Award-nominated actor, screenwriter, and comedian will be honored with the Comedic Genius Award at the 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards, airing live on MTV from Los Angeles on Sunday, May 16.
The designation “honors an actor who has made incomparable contributions to the world of comedy, providing a major influence through their work and transforming the genre at large,” according to a press release. Though he may be best known for his work as Borat, including in the seminal 2006 film that became a worldwide phenomenon, Baron Cohen’s character work has colored 20 years of comedy, notably via his HBO series Da Ali G Show, his subversive Showtime saga Who Is America?, his 2009 film Brüno, and his memorable turn as French race-car driver Jean Girard in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
Baron Cohen will become only the fourth-ever recipient of the award, following Melissa McCarthy in 2016, Kevin Hart in 2015, and Will Ferrell in 2013.
Baron Cohen is also nominated in three MTV Movie & TV Awards categories: Best Performance in a Movie for The Trial of the Chicago 7; Best Movie for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm; and with his co-star and fellow Oscar nominee Maria Bakalova, Best Duo for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Find the full list of nominees here.
Hosted by Leslie Jones, the show is set to celebrate the biggest moments in film and TV from the past year. This year’s party is so big that it can’t be contained to a single special: The first-ever MTV Movie & TV Awards: Unscripted, hosted by Nikki Glaser, will air the next night, Monday, May 17, to honor all the best in reality TV.
The 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards will be air live on Sunday, May 16 from the Palladium in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The inaugural Movie & TV Awards: Unscripted will air on Monday, May 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
