It makes sense that Candice Bergen would be honored with the Spirit of Katharine Hepburn Award — and not just because her most famous role, the iconic Murphy Brown, had a modern-day Hepburn feel about her.

The annual award is given by the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center to an individual who embodies “the bold spirit, fierce independence, and distinctive character” of Hepburn, the legendary actress who spent much of her time at her home in Old Saybrook.

And, as the Kate said in a statement, “Through her body of work and the diverse characters she’s portrayed, Candice Bergen has challenged the norm, challenged the rules, and shown her own true independent spirit.”

Bergen will receive the award during a gala Sunday at the Kate.

Previous winners include Cher, Martina Navratilova and Sam Waterston.

The Kate Gala, Sunday, Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook; cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m., award presentation, interview and live auction at 7 p.m., and then champagne toast and entertainment at 8:30: sold out; thekate.org.