Hacks Honored with Peabody Award: 'Its Humor Unites Us All'

Hacks is officially a Peabody Award winner.

PEOPLE can exclusively reveal that the HBO Max comedy has won the prestigious media award — and the accolade was presented to the series by none other than fellow funny lady Melissa McCarthy.

Hacks, which just wrapped its second season last week, showcases the growing mentor/mentee bon between an iconic Las Vegas standup comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her young comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder).

In her introduction the beloved show, McCarthy began, "Women in comedy: don't worry that's not a setup for a tone-death joke."

The two-time Oscar nominee continued, "Although maybe the duo at the heart of Hacks would love that because this very funny show — about the relationship between a legendary standup comic and an up-and-coming comedy writer — is intent on exploring any and all angles on women in comedy, serious and humorous alike."

RELATED: Jean Smart Dedicates Win at Critics Choice Awards to Hacks Director and Her Newborn Baby

McCarthy, 51, goes on to salute the "brilliant Jean Smart" and Einbinder, who is "following right alongside of her" as they join forces "taking on all things comedy and feminism."

Karen Ballard/HBO Max

"Hacks crackles with wit and truly sings for its undaunting view of female aging and the unique relationship between women of vastly different ages and outlooks, and for its humor that unites us all, Hacks is a Peabody winner," McCarthy adds.

The exclusive intro video also includes a montage of some of Hacks' funniest and most memorable moments, ending with a few words from its stars and creatives.

"Thank you to the Peabody Awards for celebrating and elevating stories and storytellers that change the world. We are so incredibly honored to be recognized among them," says co-showrunner Jen Statsky.

Adds Smart, "Hacks itself is a story about storytellers to women of different generations with starkly different points of view on the often unwelcoming world around them. But in recognizing each other's humanity, they shift the other's perspective and change one another for the better."

"It's also about wigs but that's probably less why we're here," the 70-year-old star joked.

RELATED: Hacks Costars Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder Twin in Identical Tuxedos at Women in Film Awards

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Co-showrunner Lucia Aniello adds that the award-winning series is "also about a creative collaboration between two people. We accept this award on behalf of all the incredibly, incredibly talented people who make the show. We couldn't have done it without them."

Statsky continues by thanking the streaming platform for "always believing in the show and the message behind it from the very first moment that we pitched it to them."

Einbinder, 27, then thanks the Universal Studios team for its partnership, ending by acknowledging the "cast and crew for their tireless work and their families for being so understanding." She also gives a shout-out to the craft service "for always making sure the soup is hot at 4 a.m."

Ending with a quote from iconic broadcaster Walter Cronkite, Smart says, "You count your Emmys, you cherish your Peabodies."

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The 82nd annual Peabody Awards are currently rolling out their 30 honorees for 2022 each day through Thursday between 9 and 10:30 a.m. PT on major social media platforms.

Hacks seasons 1 and 2 are now available to stream on HBO Max.