Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for Netflix
Netflix is expanding its library with another star-studded special event. The streaming network has announced it will be the exclusive global streaming home for the 51st AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Eddie Murphy, premiering on May 31st, 2026.
This marks a major shift for the American Film Institute. For the first time in the Emmy-winning special’s history, the gala will bypass traditional cable networks (it’s been on TNT and TCM for over a decade after moving over from TV Land and USA Network) and head straight to streaming, bringing the celebration of Murphy’s five-decade career to Netflix’s massive global audience.
The actual event will take place a few weeks prior to its Netflix release, meaning we won’t get a livestream like they did for the SAG-AFTRA awards. Instead, it’ll be a lavish Gala Tribute held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on April 18, 2026, before being edited and packaged for its Netflix debut at the end of May. That’s very much akin to The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, which has been on Netflix for the past few years, with Kevin Hart honored in 2024 and Conan O’Brien in 2025.
For movie buffs, the AFI Life Achievement Award is considered the highest honor for a career in film. Established in 1973, it is awarded to a single honoree each year whose “talent has in a fundamental way advanced the film art” and whose work has “stood the test of time.”
Murphy is joining an incredibly prestigious club. By accepting the 51st award, he follows in the footsteps of Hollywood royalty. Recent recipients include Francis Ford Coppola (2025), Nicole Kidman (2024), Julie Andrews (2022), and Denzel Washington (2019). The legacy of the award stretches all the way back to icons like John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, Bette Davis, and Sidney Poitier.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 26: Francis Ford Coppola attends the AFI Life Achievement Award Ceremony Honoring Francis Ford Coppola at Dolby Theatre on April 26, 2025 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
“AFI is grateful to Ted Sarandos and the talented team at Netflix for the opportunity to share this proud tradition with the world,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO, in a press release. “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.”
Netflix and Eddie Murphy have built a very fruitful relationship over the last few years, making the streamer the perfect home for this tribute.
Subscribers will be well acquainted with Murphy’s recent work on the platform. He delivered a universally acclaimed, Golden Globe-nominated performance as Rudy Ray Moore in the 2019 Netflix Original biopic Dolemite Is My Name. More recently, he starred alongside Jonah Hill in the hit comedy You People, and can currently be seen on the service in the documentary Being Eddie. And of course, he’s famously returned to his iconic role of Axel Foley for Netflix’s Beverly Hills Cop revival.
The 51st AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Eddie Murphy drops on Netflix globally on May 31, 2026. Will you be watching?
