Actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen is to receive the International Leadership Award from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for using satire to expose racism and antisemitism.

The International Leadership Award is given “to those exceptional individuals whose vision, imagination and creativity have left an indelible mark upon the global community.”

He will accept the award at ADL’s ‘Never Is Now’ Summit, which will be held on Thursday in New York City.

ADL chief executive Jonathan A. Greenblatt said: “Sacha’s fictional satirical characters have made us laugh at the kinds of hatred and prejudice that under normal circumstances would be no laughing matter.

“There’s many ways to combat prejudice, and anti-bias education, exposure and awareness are important tools. But there are other, more unorthodox ways to fight hate. Sacha’s hilarious characters fall into that latter category.

"They push envelopes. They cross boundaries. They evoke stereotypes and tropes, but for comedic effect. In the end they help to expose how common prejudices are in our society and our world.”

Mr Baron Cohen has previously used comedic roles to parody and satirise racist stereotypes. He is currently starring in the Netflix drama The Spy, which tells the true story of an Israeli agent Eli Cohen.