Tom Cruise to be honoured with AFI Life Achievement Award for contribution to cinema

Hollywood actor Tom Cruise will receive the 52nd American Film Institute (AFI) Life Achievement Award, one of the film industry's major career honours, with the award ceremony scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on April 24, 2027.

The AFI Board of Trustees announced the honour, describing the award as the highest recognition for a career in film. Cruise will be presented with the award at a gala tribute at the Dolby Theatre.

Kathleen Kennedy, chair of the AFI Board of Trustees, described Cruise as a global icon and praised his contributions as an actor and producer. She also highlighted his commitment to filmmaking and his belief in cinema's ability to bring people together.

Cruise, a three-time Oscar nominee, has starred in several commercially successful films, including Risky Business, Top Gun, Jerry Maguire, A Few Good Men and the Mission: Impossible franchise. His films have collectively earned nearly $13 billion at the worldwide box office, according to the announcement.

The actor has received several honours during his career, including the Honorary Oscar at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Governors Awards in 2025. His other recognitions include honours from the Cannes Film Festival, the Producers Guild of America and France's Legion of Honour.

Cruise currently stars in Digger, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. He is also set to return as Cole Trickle in Days of Thunder 2, according to the announcement.

The AFI Life Achievement Award was first presented to filmmaker John Ford in 1973. Previous recipients include Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Meryl Streep, Francis Ford Coppola, Nicole Kidman, Julie Andrews, Denzel Washington, George Clooney, Diane Keaton and Eddie Murphy.

The award recognises individuals whose contributions to film have significantly advanced the art of cinema and enriched American culture.