2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards: Sacha Baron Cohen Will Receive the Comedic Genius Award

Sacha Baron Cohen MTV Movie TV Awards 2021 Logo
Courtesy of Sacha Baron Cohen; MTV

Sacha Baron Cohen’s comedic genius is being recognized at the 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards with a very aptly-titled award.

MTV has announced that the Academy Award-nominated actor and screenwriter will become the fourth recipient of the Comedic Genius Award at the award show airing on Sunday, May 16, at 9/8c, with host Leslie Jones. (Melissa McCarthy, Kevin Hart, and Will Ferrell were the previous recipients).

This award honors an actor who has made incomparable contributions to the world of comedy, is a major influence through their work, and has changed the genre as a whole.

Baron Cohen is also up for three other awards this year: Best Performance in a Movie for The Trial of the Chicago 7, Best Movie for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, and Best Duo with co-star Maria Bakalova for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. He previously was nominated for MTV Movie Awards in 2007 (Best Fight for Borat) and 2014 (Best Fight for Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues) and won two in 2007 (Best Kiss for Talledega Nights and Best Comedic Performance for Borat).

In 2021, he has been nominated for Golden Globes and Oscars for The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, and he won a Golden Globe for Borat.

MTV is taking two nights to celebrate the biggest and best in movies and television, with Movie & TV Awards: Unscripted, all about reality TV, airing on Monday, May 17, at 9/8c. Nikki Glaser hosts. Watch the promo for both offering a look at who will be there.

MTV’s Bruce Gillmer, Wendy Plaut, and Vanessa Whitewolf and Den of Thieves’ Jesse Ignjatovic and Barb Bialkowski are the executive producers for both shows.

2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards, Sunday, May 16, 9/8, MTV

Movie & TV Awards: UNSCRIPTED, Monday, May 17, 9/8c, MTV