Comedy Central to Launch Annual Comedy Awards

NEW YORK: Comedy Central is teaming up with Don Mischer Productions for the American Comedy Awards, an annual event that will honor and celebrate the world of comedy.

The event will celebrate and reward the year’s best in film, TV, digital shorts and performance in the world of comedy. It’s scheduled to premiere in 2010, and will air simultaneously across all of MTV Networks Entertainment Group channels: Comedy Central, Spike TV and TV Land.

“The American Comedy Awards are about celebrating and honoring the genius of the writers, performers, producers and directors who bring us the best in comedy every year and create what the rest of us quote and share with all our friends," said Elizabeth Porter, the senior VP, specials and talent at Comedy Central . "What the Oscars are to movies and the Grammys are to music, the American Comedy Awards will be to comedy. We are thrilled to be working with Don Mischer and know he will make this the biggest comedy event of the year.”

"We are looking forward to developing a show that will recognize all those who keep us laughing in these stressful times,” said producer Don Mischer. “We’re very excited about working with Comedy Central, a network which has broken new ground in television comedy and continuing the tradition started by George Schlatter, who has been an innovator in television comedy for his entire career."