ABOUT THE AWARD

The AFI Life Achievement Award is the highest honor for a career in film.  Established by the AFI Board of Trustees on February 26, 1973, the award is presented to a single honoree each year based on the following criteria:  

"The recipient should be one whose talent has in a fundamental way advanced the film art; whose accomplishment has been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time."

"In 1993, the trustees extended the criteria to encompass individuals with active careers and work of significance yet to be accomplished."

Life Achievement Award Recipients

1973  John Ford
1974  James Cagney
1975  Orson Welles
1976  William Wyler
1977  Bette Davis
1978  Henry Fonda
1979  Alfred Hitchcock
1980  James Stewart
1981  Fred Astaire
1982  Frank Capra
1983  John Huston
1984  Lillian Gish
1985  Gene Kelly
1986  Billy Wilder
1987  Barbara Stanwyck
1988  Jack Lemmon
1989  Gregory Peck
1990  Sir David Lean
1991  Kirk Douglas
1992  Sidney Poitier
1993  Elizabeth Taylor
1994  Jack Nicholson    
1995  Steven Spielberg
1996  Clint Eastwood
1997  Martin Scorsese
1998  Robert Wise
1999  Dustin Hoffman
2000  Harrison Ford
2001  Barbra Streisand
2002  Tom Hanks
2003  Robert De Niro
2004  Meryl Streep
2005  George Lucas
2006  Sean Connery
2007  Al Pacino

The recipient is honored with a major tribute held in Los Angeles and attended by many of the leading members of the creative community.  The event is one of the most significant dates on Hollywood's cultural calendar and has become well known to the American public through its broadcast on network and cable television.