AFI Life Achievement Award


The AFI Life Achievement Award was established by the Board of Directors of the American Film Institute on February 26, 1973, to honor a single individual for his or her lifetime contribution to enriching American culture through motion pictures and television. The recipient is selected and honored at a ceremony annually, with the award presented by a master of ceremonies and recently, the prior year's recipient, who usually gives a brief synopsis of the awarded individual and career background including highlights and achievements.
The Trustees initially specified that the recipient must be one who fundamentally advanced the art of film and whose achievements had been acknowledged by the general public as well as by film scholars and critics and the individual's peers. The Trustees also specified that the work of the recipient must have withstood the test of time.

History of the award

Director John Ford was the unanimous choice of the Board of Trustees for the first award as he "clearly stands preeminent in the history of motion pictures." President Richard M. Nixon attended the gala dinner at which Ford was presented the award on March 31, 1973.
The Board of Trustees later amended the "test of time" requirement to enable the AFI Life Achievement Award to be presented to individuals with active careers, such as Tom Hanks, who, at age 46, was the youngest recipient ever, and Steven Spielberg, who received the award at age 48. Silent film star Lillian Gish, was the oldest recipient of the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award, when in 1984 was honored at the age of 90.

Televised broadcast

All Life Achievement Award ceremonies have been televised on major TV networks and cable channels: CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, USA, TV Land, TNT and TBS. Agreeing to appear at the televised ceremony apparently is part of the AFI's criteria for selecting the award. The televised ceremony generates income for the AFI, which is no longer funded by the US government. Ten of the honorees have been women: Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Barbara Stanwyck, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbra Streisand, Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton and Julie Andrews.

Recipients

The American Film Institute has awarded the AFI Life Achievement Award to one person each year since 1973. The 48th Award will be presented to Julie Andrews in Los Angeles. The event was originally scheduled for April 25th, 2020, with a broadcast on May 7th on TNT, but the event was postponed for early summer, due to concerns of 'the rapidly evolving nature of current events' regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. New dates for the event and broadcast will soon be announced.
#YearHonoreeAgeDate of CeremonyNetworkAward Presenter/Host
11973John Ford79March 31, 1973CBSDanny Kaye
21974James Cagney74March 31, 1974CBSFrank Sinatra
31975Orson Welles59February 9, 1975CBSFrank Sinatra
41976William Wyler73March 9, 1976CBSGregory Peck
51977Bette Davis68March 1, 1977CBSJane Fonda
61978Henry Fonda72March 15, 1978CBS
71979Alfred Hitchcock79March 7, 1979CBSIngrid Bergman
81980James Stewart71March 16, 1980CBSHenry Fonda
91981Fred Astaire81April 10, 1981CBSDavid Niven
101982Frank Capra84March 4, 1982CBSJames Stewart
111983John Huston76March 3, 1983CBSLauren Bacall
121984Lillian Gish90March 1, 1984CBSDouglas Fairbanks Jr.
131985Gene Kelly72March 7, 1985CBSShirley MacLaine
141986Billy Wilder79March 6, 1986NBCJack Lemmon
151987Barbara Stanwyck79April 9, 1987ABCJane Fonda
161988Jack Lemmon63March 10, 1988CBSJulie Andrews
171989Gregory Peck72March 9, 1989NBCAudrey Hepburn
181990David Lean82March 8, 1990ABCGregory Peck
191991Kirk Douglas74March 7, 1991CBSMichael Douglas
201992Sidney Poitier65March 12, 1992NBCHarry Belafonte
211993Elizabeth Taylor61March 11, 1993ABCCarol Burnett
221994Jack Nicholson56March 3, 1994CBSMike Nichols
231995Steven Spielberg48March 2, 1995NBCSidney Sheinberg
241996Clint Eastwood65February 29, 1996ABCSteven Spielberg
251997Martin Scorsese54February 20, 1997CBSGregory Peck
261998Robert Wise83February 19, 1998NBCJack Lemmon
271999Dustin Hoffman61February 18, 1999ABCJack Nicholson
282000Harrison Ford57February 17, 2000CBSGeorge Lucas
Steven Spielberg
292001Barbra Streisand58February 22, 2001FoxSidney Poitier
302002Tom Hanks46June 24, 2002USA NetworkSteven Spielberg
312003Robert De Niro59June 12, 2003USA NetworkMartin Scorsese
322004Meryl Streep54June 21, 2004USA NetworkMike Nichols
332005George Lucas61June 9, 2005USA NetworkSteven Spielberg
342006Sean Connery75June 8, 2006USA NetworkHarrison Ford
352007Al Pacino67June 7, 2007USA NetworkSean Penn
362008Warren Beatty71June 12, 2008USA NetworkAl Pacino
372009Michael Douglas64June 11, 2009TV LandJack Nicholson
382010Mike Nichols78June 10, 2010TV LandMeryl Streep
392011Morgan Freeman74June 9, 2011TV LandClint Eastwood
402012Shirley MacLaine78June 7, 2012TV LandMeryl Streep
412013Mel Brooks86June 15, 2013TNTMartin Scorsese
422014Jane Fonda76June 13, 2014TNTMichael Douglas
432015Steve Martin69June 4, 2015TBSMel Brooks
442016John Williams84June 9, 2016TNTSteven Spielberg
452017Diane Keaton71June 8, 2017TNTWoody Allen
462018George Clooney57June 7, 2018TNTShirley MacLaine
472019Denzel Washington64June 6, 2019TNTSpike Lee
482020Julie Andrews84TBATNTTBD