Cloris Leachman to Receive Inaugural 'Johnny Carson Comedy Legend Award'

[Brian Damage]

NEW YORK -- The fourth annual Great American Comedy Festival in Norfolk, the rural community of about 23,000 in Nebraska where Johnny Carson grew up, will this summer honor veteran Cloris Leachman (Raising Hope) with the inaugural Johnny Carson Comedy Legend award, according to organizers.

The festival has honored a veteran of the funny business for his or her lifetime contributions in the past, but this year, the award's name was changed to include the name of the former host of The Tonight Show. Past honorees are Nebraska native Dick Cavett, Bill Dana and Ed Asner.

The John W. Carson Foundation approved the renaming of the award, according to Jeff Sotzing, nephew of Carson, former Tonight Show producer, Foundation advisor and president of Fullerton, Calif.-based Carson Entertainment.

The Foundation also approved the use of Carson's name for a key honor at Comedy Central's/MTV Networks' recent The Comedy Awards, which saw David Letterman honored with the Johnny Carson Award For Comedic Excellence. The Great American Comedy Festival will take place June 15-19 with Louie Anderson as this year's Saturday headliner.

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