The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported today that Eddie Murphy will receive this year’s Cecil B. DeMille award at their 80th annual ceremony. It’s another step in the right direction for the embattled organization as Murphy will mark the fifth person of color to receive the award. It also gives the ceremony a marquee name to help turn out viewers for the Tuesday, January 10, NBC telecast hosted by comedian Jerrod Carmichael.
Eddie Murphy is a 6-time Globe nominee, winning in 2007 for Dreamgirls. His other nominations include bids for 48 Hrs., Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, The Nutty Professor and Dolemite Is My Name. He will be joined by the yet-to-be-announced recipient of the Carol Burnett Award.
“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 The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”
You can find this year’s nominees here.