Eddie Murphy Receives 2026 AFI Life Achievement Award at Starry Gala
Eddie Murphy accepts AFI’s Lifetime Achievement Award during the 51st gala Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on April 18, 2026.
(Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI)
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Eddie Murphy didn’t have a ton to say after a two-hour tribute inside Hollywood’s Dolby Theater Saturday night as he received the 51st AFI Life Achievement Award, nor did he shed any tears. But he did have some jokes.
“Have these always been this size? It seems like this is small. Is it?” Murphy asked as he held the silver star trophy. The crowd — filled with a who’s who of comedy heavyweights, studio heads, Oscar winners, filmmakers, actors and fans — laughed at the quip. But there might’ve been some truth to it, too, as no award could measure up to the larger-than-life career Murphy built across five decades, evidenced by larger-than-life character portraits that decorated the stage, spilling out from oversized frames.
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At 65, Murphy said he found his way to the stage at just the right time. Accomplished enough to deserve it, young enough to fully enjoy the friends, collaborators and family members who filled out the black-tie event, and still spicy enough to toss out some of his signature humor. Spike Lee, the last in a starry parade of presenters to honor Murphy, had the task of presenting him with that seemingly miniature trophy. Murphy returned the favor by ribbing him by saying that every time Lee’s beloved New York Knicks lost their bid to become NBA champs, Lee was in the building. “If you think about all those classic moments, you was there,” Murphy said, to which Lee corrected him by saying he was present as a good luck charm at age 13 in 1970 when they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers.
But about Murphy’s good timing. “I just turned 65,” Murphy noted, adding that he recently welcomed his first grandson and his third granddaughter. “It just feels like it’s raining blessings on me this month. It’s a lot of stuff, and to get this award and still look like myself, because sometimes they’ll let you wait till you’re real old to get this award.” He name-checked recent recipients and their ages when they were honored, like Mel Brooks at 86, Francis Ford Coppola at 86 and the oldest ever, Lilian Gish at 92.
“If you made me wait until I was 92, I would’ve come out here and said, ‘Fuck everybody. Fuck everybody!’ Then I would have shit on the floor,” he said before getting serious to close the ceremony, which will stream on Netflix May 31. “I was looking out and seeing all my family, all my kids, my beautiful wife, seeing all the different people that I worked with. This is a special moment. And I want to thank and [Netflix co-CEO] Ted Sarandos for putting this whole thing together. I wish y’all can feel what I’m feeling, see what I’m seeing.”
What the audience saw and heard was a generous helping of Murphy’s great talents, showcased through clip reels, highlight packages and hilarious and heartfelt anecdotes from collaborators and close friends who praised his versatility, range and groundbreaking work, and for how he reached a hand back to help them along their way. Appearing on stage were Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Martin Lawrence, Bill Burr, Mike Myers, Tracy Morgan, Kenan Thompson, Arsenio Hall, Stevie Wonder, Robert Townsend, Judge Reinhold, Eva Longoria, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Jennifer Hudson (who performed a medley of songs from Dreamgirls). (Dan Akroyd was due to present but dropped out due to “life” circumstances, per his daughter, Belle, who stood in for him and read comments he prepared.)
The program featured all of his greatest hits, documented in order from his breakout turn in 48 Hours to the recent Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F and nearly everything in between like Saturday Night Live, Delirious, Raw, Coming to America, Harlem Nights, Vampire in Brooklyn, Boomerang, The Nutty Professor, Shrek, Dreamgirls, Bowfinger, Dolemite is My Name, Mr. Church, Daddy Day Care and more. The honor made Murphy one of the few comedians to receive AFI’s top prize, which has been awarded to Bette Davis, Alfred Hitchcock, Kirk Douglas, Jack Nicholson, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Harrison Ford, Barbra Streisand, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, George Lucas, Al Pacino, Warren Beatty, Michael Douglas, Steve Ma