Overview
- Murphy, honored Saturday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, accepted the AFI Life Achievement Award from Spike Lee after a standing ovation.
- He mixed jokes with gratitude in his remarks, saying he “almost teared up” and riffing about how long some honorees wait for the prize.
- Tributes filled the stage, with Mike Myers appearing in full Shrek makeup, Stevie Wonder offering a surprise salute, and Jennifer Hudson performing a Dreamgirls medley.
- The tribute will stream on Netflix on May 31, opening the AFI ceremony to a global audience instead of a traditional cable broadcast.
- The gala raised more than $2.5 million for AFI’s education programs, and coverage noted ongoing Shrek projects for Murphy, including a 2027 sequel and a Donkey spinoff in development.