Eddie Murphy’s Tribute Set for Premiere at the 51st AFI Life Achievement Award on Netflix
Netflix has announced that it will begin streaming The 51st AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute To Eddie Murphy on May 31. This follows the gala tribute held in Murphy’s honor at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on April 18.
The American Film Institute (AFI) has been honoring entertainment icons with its Life Achievement Award since 1973, starting with filmmaker John Ford. Murphy, announced as the recipient last November, joins a prestigious list of honorees that includes Francis Ford Coppola, Nicole Kidman, and Julie Andrews.
The tribute will celebrate Murphy’s five-decade career in film, television, and stand-up comedy. Known as one of the most commercially successful actors in film history, Murphy has starred in numerous films that have grossed over $100 million in the past thirty years, from Beverly Hills Cop to Daddy Day Care. The 64-year-old icon recently discussed his life and career in the Netflix documentary Being Eddie and has appeared in Netflix films such as Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, You People, and Dolemite Is My Name.
“AFI is grateful to Ted Sarandos and the talented team at Netflix for the opportunity to share this proud tradition with the world,” said AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale. “And to do so in honor of Eddie Murphy will allow us to shine a proper light on the impact of art at a time the world needs it most.”
Proceeds from the 51st AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute Gala will support AFI’s education and arts initiatives. Murphy was recently seen starring alongside Pete Davidson and Keke Palmer in the Amazon action comedy The Pickup. He is also set to reprise his voice role of Donkey in Shrek 5, scheduled for release in 2027, and is attached to play Inspector Clouseau in a new Pink Panther film from Amazon MGM.
