Netflix and the American Film Institute (AFI) have announced that The 51st AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Eddie Murphy will premiere on the streaming platform on May 31.
Murphy will receive the award at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on April 18, recognising his outstanding contributions to film and his box office success. This marks the first year the AFI Life Achievement Award special will be available on Netflix.
Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO, said, “AFI is grateful to Ted Sarandos and the talented team at Netflix for the opportunity to share this proud tradition with the world. Honouring Eddie Murphy allows us to highlight the impact of art at a time the world needs it most.”
Murphy is celebrated as one of the most commercially successful African-American actors and ranks among the top five box-office performers in history. His accolades include a Golden Globe and SAG Award for Dreamgirls, which also earned him his first Academy Award nomination.
He is known for iconic roles in ‘48 Hrs.’, ‘Trading Places’, ‘Dr. Dolittle’, ‘Coming to America’, the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ franchise and as the voice of Donkey in ‘Shrek’.
He began his career in stand-up comedy in 1980 and joined Saturday Night Live at 19. His recent work includes the Netflix documentary ‘Being Eddie’ and Amazon’s comedy ‘The Pickup’.
The AFI Life Achievement Award recognises exceptional talent that has advanced cinema, demonstrated longevity, and earned acclaim from critics, peers and audiences.
Previous honourees include Francis Ford Coppola, Julie Andrews, George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.
