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The Rodney Respect Award is a comedy award presented to individuals whose creativity has left a unique mark on the history of comedy. The award is named after American stand-up comedian Rodney Dangerfield whose stage persona represented the everyday man who got no respect.

History
Rodney Dangerfield was a stand-up comedian and actor known for his iconic line “I don’t get no respect!”. His big break didn’t come until he was 44 years old when he won a spot on The Ed Sullivan Show. He went on to become a favorite guest on many shows, including The Tonight Show where he appeared more than 70 times. He was also known for his roles in the comedy films, Caddyshack (1980) and Back to School (1986).

The first Rodney Respect Award was presented to comedian Jay Leno on October 20, 2005 at the UCLA Visionary Ball. Since 2019, the award has been presented at the Los Angeles City College Gala. Los Angeles City College is also home to The Rodney Dangerfield Institute, the only comedy institute in the United States housed within a community college.

In 2012, 37-year-old Chelsea Handler became the youngest recipient of the award.

The award isn’t exclusively presented to comedians. In 2013, it was presented to television writer and producer, Chuck Lorre.