Watch Melissa McCarthy’s Inspiring MTV Movie Awards Acceptance Speech

Melissa McCarthy made history this weekend by becoming the first woman to nab the honor of Best Comedic Genius at the MTV Movie Awards. She follows in the footsteps of previous winners Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart, but she also made it clear that there are plenty of female comedians who made her accomplishment possible.

“I may be the first woman to win this award, but I am certainly, certainly not the first one to deserve it,” she said. “I think I’m a walking human patchwork of all the remarkable, funny women who I have loved and studied over the years.”

McCarthy went on to list dozens of iconic women from memory, including Lucille Ball, Bette Midler, Gilda Radner and finally her own mother. “My mom … taught me not to fear being the butt of the joke, taught me not to worry about being likable or perfect, and to lovingly go for the kill.”

Watch the full speech: