Will Ferrell, Steve Coogan and Paul Whitehouse will be special recipients of the award for International Achievement, Outstanding Achievement and The Writer’s Guild of Great Britain Award respectively at Thursday night's British Comedy Awards.

Ferrell, who wins the International Achievement Award – and whose new film Anchorman 2 is about to be released in the UK – said: "I’d love to say how honoured and thrilled I am to be receiving this award; I'd love to say how honoured I am to be held in such high regard by the British comedy community but, at this juncture, I think it would be more prudent to say: no comment."

Steve Coogan, who picks up the award for Outstanding Achievement, said: "I can honestly say I am almost humbled by having my modest contribution to the world of comedy be pronounced ‘Outstanding'. Over the last 25 years I have worked with many wonderful people and a few bastards. Of the many epithets I have received; cutting edge, acerbic incisive, one trick pony, visionary and 'depressingly popular' (Time Out), Outstanding is perhaps the most flattering. Of all the accolades I have received the most gratifying is undoubtedly Best Screenplay at the Venice Film Festival and then probably this one. Although I don't pay enough attention to the comedy Zeitgeist, preferring instead to watch reruns of Nazi-Hunters on the Military channel, it is never the less an honour to be recognised among my peers. I can only hope that one day my epitaph will read Here lies Alan Partridge AKA Steve Coogan. God bless you all."

Ferrell, Coogan and Whitehouse will all be present to receive their awards during the live C4 broadcast from 9pm on Thursday, December 12, hosted by Jonathan Ross. In addition to the three special award winners, a variety of A-list guests will bestow the coveted awards on nervous nominees.