Eddie Murphy To Be Honoured With 51st AFI Life Achievement Award

Hollywood actor Eddie Murphy is set to receive the 51st AFI Life Achievement Award. The award will be presented by the American Film Institute at a gala tribute at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on April 18, 2026.

The award is to honour Murphy's contributions in film, television, and comedy in his illustrious career spanning nearly 50 years.

Murphy has joined the likes of recent recipients of the AFI Life Achievement Award, which include Francis Ford Coppola, Nicole Kidman, George Clooney, Diane Keaton, Julie Andrews, Steve Martin, and more.

Eddie Murphy to receive AFI Life Achievement Award

“Eddie Murphy is an American icon,” said Kathleen Kennedy, Chair of the AFI Board of Trustees, according to a report in Deadline. “A trailblazing force in the art forms of 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,” he added.

Eddie Murphy's career

Murphy, 64, has a huge body of work. Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, Trading Places, Daddy Day Care, 48 Hrs, Dreamgirls, The Nutty Professor, The Pickup, Dolemite Is My Name, and Candy Cane Lane, among others, are some of his notable works. He is also a voice actor who lent his voice to Mulan and the Shrek franchise.

Dolemite Is My Name earned him Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture Comedy/Musical and Lead Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and a Critics Choice nomination for Best Actor.

In 2020, he bagged the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for Saturday Night Live. In 2023, he received the Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Golden Globes’ highest honour. Murphy also received an Oscar nomination for 2006’s Dreamgirls.

His recent show was Netflix's Being Eddie.