The Peabody Awards — which recognize excellence in quality, rather than popularity or commercial success — were handed out last night during the first evening ceremony for the awards. Fred Armisen presented the award (which were announced a month ago) while Tina Fey and Cecily Strong unexpectedly showed up to say a few nice things about two of the big winners, Inside Amy Schumer and Sarah Koenig’s podcast, Serial, respectively.
It was Fey, however, who stole the night with a fantastic tribute to Inside Amy Schumer that ended in a make-out session with its star.
“Amy Schumer is killing it, as the agents like to say,” Fey said, according to the Hollywood Reporter. “Usually they are lying. But in this case it is true. Amy is killing it. She is the biggest deal in comedy right now.”
She continued, adding that she secretly came down to the awards ceremony during a thunderstorm in Manhattan because she had hoped to make out with Schumer and feed off her soul.
“I really wanted to come down here tonight, and in a Madonna kind of way try to like feed off of her youth and maybe suck her soul out in a very awkward, staged lesbian kiss,” Fey explained. “But when I pitched that idea to Amy’s camp, they came back with such an immediate yes that it kind of grossed me out.”
Indeed, she argued that it “didn’t feel right” to do the kiss they’d rehearsed. “Instead, I think we should just give you a really prestigious award,” Fey said.
Nevertheless, Schumer and Fey kissed, as you can see in the image tweeted by Pivot, which will air the awards ceremony on June 21.
So this just happened. #Peabody @amyschumer #TinaFey #Goddesses pic.twitter.com/vBodhEMQJo
— Pivot (@pivot) June 1, 2015
When Cecily Strong — who famously impersonated Sarah Koenig on SNL earlier this season — presented Koenig with the award for Serial, she added: “I just want to say, it’s no pressure, but if you want to kiss, we can, because it’s the Peabodys, it’s that kind of night.”
Koenig and Strong did not make out, sadly, but Koenig did remark that Strong’s impression of her was so good that “many people have come up to me and said, ‘Was it fun playing yourself on Saturday Night Live?’ ”
PBS newsman Charlie Rose ended the night by presenting the award to John Oliver for Last Week Tonight, noting that Oliver — despite his assertions to the contrary — really is more of a journalist than a comedian. Oliver accepted the award and began his remarks with, “I didn’t hear what Charlie said; I can only assume it was bullsh*t.”
The Peabody Awards will air June 21 on Pivot.
(Via Pajiba and the Hollywood Reporter)
