Ellen DeGeneres has been building a huge fan base for years with her silly, witty brand of light humor, which is showcased on her talkshow, “Ellen”. During her stand-up days, she garnered support from other performers who have followed her career over the years and were delighted to see her win the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, which has been won in the past by the likes of Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, and George Carlin.

“I’m in really good company,” Ellen said of winning the prize. “There are a lot of people I respect that have won this award.”

Former “Will & Grace” star Sean Hayes talked up his friend, saying she has built a career around being funny and nice, something almost unheard of these days.

“Ellen has one of those universal, observational, non-mean-spirited comedy voices,” he said. “When the country has become so cynical…she is one of the few that we look to make us laugh.”

But it’s not just her comedy that wins her accolades from her peers; Ellen garnered a lot of support several years ago when she came out and eventually married longtime love Portia de Rossi.

“She went out there with a machete, metaphorically, and blazed a trail for everybody else when she came out of the closet,” “Glee” actress Jane Lynch said. “She was the one who stood up and was counted…the path today that I walk has been cleared by her.”