Tom Cruise will receive the American Film Institute's lifetime achievement award. The honor will be presented at a ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on April 24, 2027, the AFI board of directors announced.
“Tom Cruise is a global icon“, said Catherine Kennedy, chairwoman of the American Film Institute's board of directors. She emphasized his dedication as an actor and producer, as well as his belief that films can unite people.
The AFI award was established in 1973 and is presented to individuals whose work has contributed to the development of cinema and has stood the test of time. Cruise will be the 52nd recipient.
He will join a list that already includes John Ford, Bette Davis, Sidney Poitier, Steven Spielberg, Denzel Washington, Nicole Kidman and Eddie Murphy, who received the award in 2026.
Cruise, 64, has been acting in films for more than 40 years. Among his most famous titles are “Risky Business“, “Good Men“, “Jerry Maguire“, “Special Report“ and the “Mission: Impossible“ series.
Cruise has three “Academy Award“ nominations for acting. He was nominated for Best Actor for his roles in “Born on the Fourth of July“ and “Jerry Maguire“, as well as Best Supporting Actor for “Magnolia“.
As a producer, he received an “Academy Award“ nomination for Best Picture for “Top Gun: Maverick“. In 2025, he was also awarded an Honorary “Oscar“ at the ceremony of the Board of Governors of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The upcoming ceremony at the Dolby Theatre will celebrate the career of the actor and producer, who continues to be associated with some of the most recognizable film sequences and roles in American cinema.