Judge Judy Sheindlin has presided over her television court for the last 22.5 years, deciding the fates of dogs, roommates, sex toys, gift cards, and Sex Pistols with a King Solomon-esque dedication to logic. And at long last, she is getting the recognition she deserves—not monetarily, since girl already makes like $50 million a year, but in the form of a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award.
According to Variety, Sheindlin is set to receive the Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 46th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on May 5. She is the first courtroom judge to receive such an award, which makes sense, since Judge Judy sits high above the Judge Mathises, Faiths, Rinders, Joe Browns, and Marilyns that populate daytime programming.
“The Daytime Emmy Awards recognize both the excellence and vibrant diversity of daytime television programming,” NATAS President & CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement. “Judge Judy Sheindlin epitomizes both, shaping one of the mainstay genres of our medium.”
The show, which first aired on September 16, 1996, is expected to run at least through the 2020-2021 season, which gives the 76-year-old Sheindlin about 500 more opportunities to give the poor souls who dare enter her courtroom her signature death stare. Not that it’ll be enough—in November, she told Ellen Degeneres she has no plans to retire.
“I work every other week,” she said. “So that’s my anchor, and it gives me plenty of downtime to get bored, and when I get bored I usually harass people.”
Congratulations to you, Judge Judy. See you on laundry day.