Actor and stand-up comedy legend Eddie Murphy has been selected to receive the 51st ‘AFI Life Achievement Award’, a major recognition of his enduring impact on film and entertainment.
According to Variety, Murphy will be honoured at a gala tribute at the ‘Dolby Theatre in Hollywood’ on April 18, 2026, just two weeks after his 65th birthday.
Murphy will become the fourth Black recipient of the award, joining Sidney Poitier (1992), Morgan Freeman (2011), and Denzel Washington (2019), as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Past recipients have included luminaries such as Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, John Williams, Martin Scorsese, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, and Julie Andrews. Last year, the honour went to Francis Ford Coppola.
The AFI Life Achievement Award is presented annually to a single honouree who has advanced the cinematic arts, demonstrated career longevity, and earned recognition from scholars, critics, peers, and audiences alike.
“Eddie Murphy is an American icon. A trailblazing force in film, television, and stand-up comedy, his versatility knows no bounds. Across five decades, his enduring impact on our culture has inspired artists and audiences alike, and AFI is proud to honour him with the 51st AFI Life Achievement Award,” said Kathleen Kennedy, chair of AFI’s board of trustees.
Murphy rose to fame with his stint on Saturday Night Live in the early 1980s before establishing a successful film career. While initially focused on stand-up, he later starred in blockbuster films including Beverly Hills Cop 2, Coming to America, and The Nutty Professor.
Most recently, Murphy appeared in the 2025 Netflix documentary Being Eddie and the Amazon Prime action-comedy feature The Pickup.
