Eddie Murphy , the legendary actor and stand-up comedian, will receive the AFI Life Achievement Award, America’s highest honor for a career in film, the American Film Institute ‘s board of trustees announced Friday.

Murphy will be honored at a gala tribute at the Dolby Theatre on April 18, 2026, just two weeks after his 65th birthday. He will be the fourth Black recipient of the honor, following Sidney Poitier (1992), Morgan Freeman (2011) and Denzel Washington (2019).

“Eddie Murphy is an American icon,” Kathleen Kennedy , the chair of AFI’s board of trustees, said in a statement. “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 audi

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