The word “genius” gets thrown around a lot these days, but only a small handful of people are really worthy of that title. Now, thanks to the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane can now count himself among them. As part of its annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards, the BTJA will be giving MacFarlane the Louis XIII Genius Award—the most prestigious prize in the world that’s named after a kind of cognac. (It really is, we’re not joking.)
As for why MacFarlane was chosen, BTJA president Joey Berlin said in a statement to Variety that his “work has been a fixture on our screens—both large and small—for almost two decades,” and that “his humor and talent is undeniable.” MacFarlane will be joining previous winners Ryan Murphy and Bob Newhart in this exclusive club, indicating that they are the only people who have ever worked in TV to be worthy of the title of “genius.”
In other Critics’ Choice Television Awards news, the BTJA also announced the nominees for “Most Bingeworthy Show,” a new award that the organization apparently just made up when it realized that the 500 categories it already has weren’t enough. The nominees are American Horror Story: Freak Show, Empire, Game Of Thrones, Orange Is The New Black, Vikings, and The Walking Dead. You can vote for your favorite at this link. Sadly, you cannot vote on whether or not you agree that Seth MacFarlane is a genius.
The Critics’ Choice Awards will air on A&E on May 31.