Eddie Murphy is set to receive one of Hollywood’s most prestigious honours.
The American Film Institute has announced that the comedy legend will be presented with its Life Achievement Award — the organisation’s highest salute to a filmmaker’s career — next year.
Murphy will be celebrated at a gala event scheduled for April 18, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Calling him “an American icon,” AFI Board of Trustees Chair Kathleen Kennedy praised Murphy’s decades of influence across entertainment.
“His versatility knows no bounds,” she noted, highlighting his impact in film, television and stand-up.
Now 64, Murphy’s career stretches close to five decades. He first made waves as a teenage stand-up star before joining Saturday Night Live, where he became one of the show’s defining performers.
He later transitioned into box office success with films such as Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, The Nutty Professor and DreamWorks’ Shrek franchise.
His performance in Dreamgirls earned him major awards recognition — a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award — and a 2007 Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Murphy reflects on his career in a newly released Netflix documentary, Being Eddie.
Speaking about the Oscar loss, he joked that he was more irritated by the tuxedo than by missing out on the trophy. “It’s always wonderful to win stuff… I’m still Eddie in the morning,” he said.
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More recently, the actor was honoured with the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 2023 Golden Globes, where he delivered brief, light-hearted remarks.
In an earlier interview with The Associated Press, he said age has given him a new appreciation for his success: “Now I take nothing for granted and appreciate everything.”
Murphy becomes the 51st recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award. The tradition began in 1973 with filmmaker John Ford, with past honourees including Denzel Washington, Julie Andrews and Nicole Kidman.
