Eddie Murphy to receive HFPA’s Cecil B. DeMille Award

Actor/comedian Eddie Murphy was named Wednesday the recipient of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Cecil B. DeMille Award, which honors “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.”

“We’re honored to present this year’s Cecil B. DeMille Award to the iconic and highly esteemed Mr. Eddie Murphy,” HFPA President Helen Hoehne said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be celebrating the lasting impact on film and television that his career — in front of and behind the camera — has had through the decades.”

Murphy will receive the award during the 2023 Golden Globes ceremony on Jan. 10, which is returning to a live broadcast this year on NBC.

Murphy is a six-time Golden Globe nominee, winning in 2007 for his supporting role in “Dreamgirls.” His other nominations came for the films “48 Hrs.,” “Trading Places,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” “The Nutty Professor” and “Dolemite is My Name.”

His role in “Dreamgirls” also earned him a supporting-actor Oscar nomination.

The former “Saturday Night Live” cast member was most recently seen in the comedy film sequel “Coming 2 America.” His other film credits include “Tower Heist,” “I Spy,” “The Haunted Mansion,” “Bowfinger,” “Holy Man,” “Doctor Dolittle,” “Boomerang,” “Harlem Nights” and “The Golden Child.” He also lent his voice to the character Donkey in the “Shrek” animated film series.

Previous winners of the Cecil B. DeMille Award include Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Jane Fonda, Oprah Winfrey, Robert De Niro, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford.

Since 2018, the HFPA has also annually presented The Carol Burnett Award, which honors outstanding contributions to the television industry. This year’s recipient has not yet been announced.

The Golden Globes’ return to television in January follows a one-year hiatus prompted by upheaval within the HFPA following revelations of its historic lack of Black members and questions about the group’s ethical standards. The group has undergone a sweeping series of organizational changes, prompting NBC to return the program to broadcast television.

Last year’s awards were announced in a scaled-down, non-televised event.