Actress Tina Fey was voted AP’s Entertainer of the Year, an annual honor chosen by newspaper editors and broadcast producers across the country.

The 38-year-old comedian beat out actors Robert Downey Jr. and the late Heath Ledger for the top honor.

Sharon Eberson, entertainment editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, said, “Tina Fey is such an obvious choice. She gave us funny when we really needed it and, in a year when women in politics were making huge strides, Fey stood out in the world of entertainment.”

Not only did she win audiences across the country with her appearances on “Saturday Night Live” with her impersonations of Governor Sarah Palin, but she also headlined her first film, Baby Mama, which grossed $60 million at the box office. She also won three Emmys for her NBC sitcom “30 Rock,” which she created, stars in and writes for.

“She simultaneously entertained us with her wit and put a mirror up to the nation during the election and made us think about what was going on,” said Scott Shive, assistant features editor at the Lexington Herald-Leader. “She is the epitome of the smart kid coming out on top for once.”

Fey was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for best performance by an actress in a TV series, comedy or musical, as well as a Screen Actors Guild award.

Last year’s AP Entertainer of the Year also went to a comedian whose satire blended in with politics: Stephen Colbert.