Why There Were No Cecil B. DeMille or Carol Burnett Awards at the Golden Globes

Lauren Novak January 6, 10:00 am

Cecil B. Demille Carol Burnett Golden Globe Awards — Hulton Archive/Getty Images, Everett Collection, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Fans were quick to notice that two big awards were not shown during the past few Golden Globe Awards. During the most recent shows, the Cecil B. DeMille and Carol Burnett achievement awards were not given out to any stars on camera. Due to changes in the show, there was simply not enough time to present the awards. Ted Danson was the recipient of the Carol Burnett Award this year and was presented the award by his wife of almost 30 years, Mary Steenburgen.

Reportedly, as he accepted the award, Burnett was there and shouted “I love you!” to Danson, showcasing her support. Viola Davis was the recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award, presented to her by Meryl Streep.

Carol Burnett, Ted Danson, Viola Davis, Helen Hoehne, Meryl Streep at the Golden Gala: A Celebration of Excellence at The Beverly Hilton on January 3, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California

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Some other big winners of the night were Zoe Saldaña for her role in Emilia Pérez, Jean Smart for Hacks, Kieran Culkin for A Real Pain and Hiroyuki Sanada for Shōgun.

The Cecil B. DeMille Award began in 1952 and was named after its first recipient, director Cecil B. DeMille, chosen because of his respected name and work. A year later, the award was given to Walt Disney. The award is given annually but has skipped a few other years besides the current one. As of now, only 70 people in the world can say that they have won this prestigious award and only 17 of those people are women.

circa 1940: American film director Cecil B DeMille (1881 - 1959).

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The Carol Burnett Award, on the other hand, is a very new honor. It began in 2019 when actor Carol Burnett received the award for “outstanding contributions to television on or off the screen.” So far, only Burnett, Ellen DeGeneres, the late Norman Lear, Ryan Murphy and now Danson have received this award.

First-ever Golden Globe television special achievement award, named after her, recipient actress Carol Burnett poses in the press room during the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 6, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Recently, after several controversies in recent years, the Golden Globes changed up its ownership and status. It is now owned by PMC and show producer Dick Clark Prods. in a joint venture with Eldridge. The award show has also moved to CBS and Paramount+ after airing for decades on NBC. There was an increase in the number of categories to 25 and nominees from five to six in each category, so there was just not enough time to add in the lifetime achievement awards. In case you missed the awards, you can stream it now on Paramount+ or the CBS app.