On April 18, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Eddie Murphy won the 51st AFI Life Achievement Award. He was the fourth Black person to win it, after Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman, and Denzel Washington. Murphy got a standing ovation when he walked on stage at the event, which took place just after his 65th birthday. He passed by famous people like Spike Lee, Martin Lawrence, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Arsenio Hall, and Judge Reinhold. He said, “Seeing all of my family, my kids, my beautiful wife, and all the different people I worked with has really filled me up,” before going backstage to cry.
Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, Eva Longoria, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Kenan Thompson were among the comedy stars who paid tribute to Murphy’s five-decade career, which included stand-up, movies like Beverly Hills Cop, The Nutty Professor, and Shrek. Kathleen Kennedy, chair of the AFI Board, called him “a trailblazing force in film, television, and stand-up comedy” whose work has inspired generations. This honor comes after the Netflix documentary Being Eddie, which came out in November 2025 and looked at his rise to fame from Saturday Night Live to Hollywood.
The full gala special, “The 51st American Film Institute Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Eddie Murphy,” will be available to stream on Netflix starting May 31, 2026. Fans all over the world will be able to relive the emotional night. In his recent book Being Eddie, Murphy talked about making up with old collaborators like director John Landis and his return to SNL, which showed how his legacy will live on. This AFI award, which is one of the most prestigious awards in Hollywood, makes Murphy an American icon.
