Zach Galifianakis To Host "Between Two Ferns: A Fairytale Of New York" - "The Comedy Awards" Special Premiering May 6 At 8:30 P.M. ET/PT On COMEDY CENTRAL(R)

30-Minute Show to Feature Appearances by Comedy Award Nominees Tina Fey and Jon Stewart Along With Sir Richard Branson

Inaugural Primetime Special Will Serve as Precursor to the 2nd Annual "The Comedy Awards"

NEW YORK, May 3, 2012 -- The Oscars(R) have Barbara Walters and "The Comedy Awards" have Zach Galifianakis. On Sunday, May 6, Comedy Central will host an evening of programming honoring great comedy and the people who make it, starting with the television premiere of "Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis," the pioneering, no-holds-barred Funny Or Die series. The special 30-minute "Between Two Ferns: A Fairytale of New York," hosted by Galifianakis and produced by Funny Or Die, will air at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT and serve as a precursor to the 2nd annual "The Comedy Awards" airing at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Hoping to do for ferns what Walters did for trees, Galifianakis � a multiple "Comedy Awards" nominee - will welcome fellow "Comedy Awards" contenders Tina Fey and Jon Stewart, as well as Sir Richard Branson, to his foliage-filled set for the show's primetime television debut.

Funny Or Die's award-winning series "Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis" is an 'anything goes, you-never-know-what's-going-to-happen' interview talk show. Shot between two ferns � literally �actor/comedian Zach Galifianakis asks questions to unassuming celebrities and personalities who often find themselves asking, and almost always out loud to Zach, 'what am I doing here?'. Scott Aukerman (Comedy Bang Bang), is the Executive Producer and Director of "Between Two Ferns: A Fairytale of New York."

"The Comedy Awards," now in its second year, is dedicated to celebrating the art of comedy with a historic, one-night-only celebration honoring the most talented writers, directors, actors and stand-ups, who provided the laugh track to our lives this past year. The ceremony will premiere on COMEDY CENTRAL on Sunday, May 6 and air on COMEDY CENTRAL's international channels across Europe, New Zealand, India, Israel and Africa.

Don Mischer, Casey Patterson, EVP, Event Production, Viacom Entertainment Group and Charlie Haykel are the Executive Producers. Juliane Hare is Producer. Beth McCarthy Miller, the Peabody and DGA Award-winning and Emmy-nominated Director, once again directed "The Comedy Awards." "The American Comedy Awards" was created by George Schlatter.