Cheers to Ted!
The Golden Globes honored Ted Danson with the Carol Burnett Award before its 2025 awards ceremony on Sunday.
Danson, 77, received the prestigious award, which was presented by his wife Mary Steenburgen, at the Golden Gala at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., Friday.
“I have to admit, I’ve always had a confusing relationship with awards,” Danson said. “If I win, I feel a little embarrassed and lonely. If I don’t win, I feel a little embarrassed and lonely. But not tonight.”
Danson gave a shout-out to “Cheers” and said he “wouldn’t be standing here if we weren’t asked to work starting with the creators” of the beloved sitcom.
“Literally everything I have in life acting-wise comes from you all. I cannot thank you enough,” he said about “Cheers” creators Les and Glen Charles.
Danson also paid homage to Carol Burnett, who was in the crowd.
“I am so thrilled to get this award, Carol. I cannot tell you how much it means to me. You have brought so much joy and happiness into households all over the world. You radiate kindness. I love you so much,” Danson said.
The “Good Place” star went on, “As Sam Malone said, I truly am the luckiest son of a b—h I’ve ever met, and Carol, you know what’s wonderful about this award is that every year we are gathered together to celebrate laughter and joy, we will celebrate you, Carol, and we will celebrate all the funny men and women that came before us.”
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the organization that hosts the Golden Globes, announced in December that Danson would be this year’s recipient of the award named for legendary comedian Carol Burnett.
“Ted Danson has entertained audiences for decades with his iconic performances that will forever be ingrained in television history,” said Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne in a statement at the time.
“His renowned career is a testament to his remarkable talent and versatility as an actor and bears resemblance to the award’s legendary namesake. It is an honor to present him with the 2025 Carol Burnett Award to celebrate the tremendous impact he has made and continues to make in television.”
Created in 2019, the first Carol Burnett Award was given to its namesake. According to the Golden Globes, the annual honor recognizes someone who “has made outstanding contributions to television on or off screen.”
“The recipient is selected based on their body of work and the lasting impact of their television career achievements on both the industry and audiences.”
The award was presented to Ellen DeGeneres in 2020, Norman Lear in 2021 and Ryan Murphy in 2023. A recipient was not named in 2022, when the Golden Globes weren’t broadcast following a scandal about the HFPA’s lack of diversity.
A 13-time Golden Globe nominee and a three-time winner, Danson took home his first Globe in 1985 for best performance by an actor in a limited series, anthology series or motion picture made for television for his work in the film “Something About Amelia.
His other wins were for his work on “Cheers,” nabbing the best performance by an actor in a TV series — musical or comedy in 1990 and 1991.
His work on the TV shows “Damages,” “Becker” and “The Good Place” was also nominated by the Globes.
Danson currently stars in the Netflix comedy series “A Man on the Inside,” created by Mike Schur — who created “The Good Place,” “Parks and Recreation” and the US version of “The Office” — and is based on the 2020 documentary “The Mole Agent.”
