Sacha Baron Cohen won a special award for outstanding achievement in comedy at the British Comedy Awards, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Other big winners included BBC and Hulu political comedy The Thick of It. Its stars Rebecca Front and Peter Capaldi were honored as best TV comedy actress and actor. Capaldi portrays spin doctor Malcolm Tucker, while Front plays hapless politician Nicola Murray.

Front beat out Olivia Colman, who was nominated for two roles - one in London 2012 Olympics series Twenty Twelve and one in sitcom Rev.

Sky show Hunderby was named best new comedy program and best sitcom, upsetting The Thick of It and other contenders. Hunderby is a period comedy, set in the 1800s, written by and starring Julia Davis (Nighty Night, Human Remains, Gavin & Stacey). It focuses on a shipwreck survivor washed ashore near a small English village.

Sacha Baron Cohen accepted his award more than a decade after winning the honor for best comedy newcomer at the event.