AFI to Honor Tom Cruise With 2027 Lifetime Achievement Award

WHO:

Deadline - Tom Cruise was selected to receive the American Film Institute’s 52nd AFI Life Achievement Award.

Deadline - The American Film Institute Board of Trustees announced the award.

Deadline - Past recipients include Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Meryl Streep, and Francis Ford Coppola.

Variety - Tom Cruise was selected as the award’s honoree.

Variety - The American Film Institute will honor Cruise.

WHAT:

Deadline - Cruise will receive the 52nd AFI Life Achievement Award.

Deadline - The AFI described the award as “the highest honor for a career in film.”

Variety - The AFI Life Achievement Award is given to a single honoree each year and is considered the highest honor for a career in film.

Variety - A gala tribute will honor Cruise.

WHERE:

Variety - The gala tribute will take place at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

WHEN:

Variety - The gala tribute is scheduled for April 24, 2027.

(UPDATED October 21, 2026 20:28 UTC)

Tom Cruise has been selected to receive the American Film Institute’s 52nd Life Achievement Award, one of the film industry’s highest career honors. The AFI Board of Trustees announced the selection, recognizing Cruise for his career in film. The award goes to a single honoree each year, and the institute describes it as the highest honor for a career in film. Cruise will be celebrated at a gala tribute at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, scheduled for April 24, 2027. He joins a distinguished group of past recipients that includes Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Meryl Streep, and Francis Ford Coppola. The annual award highlights a filmmaker’s or performer’s lasting achievements and contribution to cinema.