Overview
- The American Film Institute announced Eddie Murphy as the recipient of its 51st Life Achievement Award on November 21, 2025.
- AFI said the tribute is planned for April 2026 at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, the traditional Oscars venue.
- AFI board chair Kathleen Kennedy called Murphy "an American icon" and praised his versatility across mediums.
- A GALA.de item listed an April 18, 2025 gala in Los Angeles, a date that conflicts with AFI’s 2026 timing and is disputed by other reporting.
- The honor joins a roster that includes Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington and Francis Ford Coppola, as Murphy’s career spans Saturday Night Live at 19, hits like Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, The Nutty Professor and Dr. Dolittle, and an Oscar nomination for Dreamgirls.