Jay Leno will receive the Vanguard Award at the Burbank International Film Festival, organisers announced on Monday, honouring his decades-long career as a comedy writer, standup and late-night television host. The tribute reflects his close ties to Burbank, home to NBC Studios where he filmed The Tonight Show for more than 20 years, and underlines the city's standing as a hub for the entertainment industry.

The award will be presented at BIFF's awards gala at the Marriott Burbank on Saturday 8 August, opening with Burbank mayor Tamala Takahashi proclaiming the date "Jay Leno Day." Leno will then take part in an hour-long career retrospective conversation with The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg, recorded live for the Awards Chatter podcast, before receiving the award; previous Vanguard Award recipients include Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burton and Paul Feig. He is also set to perform at Flappers Comedy Club immediately afterwards.