All About Jerrod Carmichael, the Host of the 2023 Golden Globe Awards

Put your hands together for Jerrod Carmichael, your host of the 2023 Golden Globes!

In December, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced the stand-up comedian's prominent role in the show, making him the first person to host the film and television awards ceremony since it was last broadcasted in 2021.

While this will mark Carmichael's Golden Globes hosting debut, he's no stranger to emceeing live shows! In fact, the funnyman turned heads in April when he hosted NBC's Saturday Night Live, for which he earned an Emmy nomination for his performance.

"His comedic talents have entertained and thrilled audiences while providing thought-provoking moments that are so important in the times we live," HFPA president Helen Hoehne said of Carmichael in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. "Jerrod is the special kind of talent this show calls for to kick off the awards season."

The Golden Globes will air on NBC and Peacock on Jan. 10 this year, marking its return to the network since NBC declined to air the awards show in 2022 amid controversy regarding the HFPA, a small group of international journalists that determines the nominees and winners of the Golden Globe Awards each year.

The organization was widely criticized for its lack of representation among its members after The Los Angeles Times published an exposé in February 2021, in which it was revealed there were zero Black members of the organization.

Between his start in stand-up comedy and his Emmy Award win, here's everything to know about Carmichael ahead of his hosting gig.

He's referred to by his middle name

The comedian is publicly known as Jerrod, Carmichael's middle name. His first name is Rothaniel, which he titled his pivotal comedy special on HBO Max.

He got his start in the Los Angeles stand-up comedy scene

Carmichael was born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on April 6, 1987, before moving to Los Angeles. Prior to nabbing writing gigs for television and film, the creative's career started in stand-up in 2008.

"I didn't start in North Carolina, I started in L.A. because the markets are more competitive," Carmichael told Larry King in a 2018 interview. His first performance was at the Comedy Store in West Hollywood.

He created a semi-biographical sitcom

Since he was around 11 years old, Carmichael knew he wanted to have his own show on NBC. "I used to tell my brother and my family I wanted a show on NBC because a lot of my favorite shows were on there," he told Larry King.

He went on to list some of his favorite sitcoms, including Cheers, The Cosby Show, Seinfeld and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. "I found perspective pretty early, that's kind of the key for a comedian. You have to have a point of view," he continued. "That's the most important thing you can develop."

Carmichael's realization in part led to the creation of his own series for the network, The Carmichael Show, in 2015. The semi-autobiographical sitcom ran for three seasons, with plot points loosely based on his own life.

"It's more so perspective than things that happen," he said of the show's premise during the interview. "I don't take situations from my family but I take a lot of perspectives and just kind of exaggerate it and have fun with it."

The comedian starred alongside other comedy favorites, including Tiffany Haddish, Lil Rel Howery and Loretta Devine. When it was canceled in 2017, Carmichael said he was "excited to go make other things."

He has several acting credits to his name

In addition to starring on his eponymous sitcom, Carmichael has held roles in various TV shows and movies, including 2014's Neighbors, 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight and 2019's Ramy to name a few.

He's an Emmy Award winner

Carmichael returned to his stand-up comedy roots with Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel, his landmark comedy special that aired on HBO Max in April 2022. He nabbed an Emmy win that September, taking home the award for writing in a comedy special.

The comedian's SNL hosting debut in April also earned him an Emmy nomination. He was recognized in the outstanding guest actor in a comedy series category.

He publicly came out as gay in front of a live audience

Filmed in February 2022, the stand-up routine seen in Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel was a pivotal one for the comedian — not only in his professional career but in his personal life as well.

Though Carmichael has previously opened up about his sexuality, he didn't publicly come out as gay until Rothaniel was released in April 2022. The special includes stories from Carmichael's family history, one of which was a story of how he learned that his father was unfaithful in his marriage.

"After that was out in the open, I was left alone feeling like a liar, because I had a secret," he said in the special. "One that I kept from my father, my mother, my family, my friends, and you. Professionally, personally. And the secret is that I'm gay."