Eddie Murphy took in the room, saw his family and the people he has worked with for decades, and said the moment nearly brought him to tears.

“Seeing all of my family, all my kids, my beautiful wife, and seeing all the different people I worked with, I’m just really filled up,” Murphy said after receiving the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday night. “This is a special moment. I wish y’all could feel what I’m feeling, see what I’m seeing. I almost teared up. I’m going to get backstage and cry.”

Murphy received a standing ovation before accepting the award. As he moved through the ballroom toward the stage, the applause continued. He passed Spike Lee, Martin Lawrence, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Arsenio Hall and Judge Reinhold.

The tribute also featured Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, Eva Longoria, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Kenan Thompson. Netflix will premiere the special on May 31.

Murphy, 65, built a career that moved from teenage stand-up to breakout success on “Saturday Night Live” and then to major film roles in “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Coming to America,” “The Nutty Professor” and the “Shrek” franchise. Large images from those moments appeared onstage during the ceremony.

Lee, who presented the award, tied Murphy’s work to a broader cultural impact.

“Eddie made us laugh and made our nation feel better,” Lee said. “I took a camera and told stories on how our nation could be better. … We both pushed culture forward. … Every step of this journey, Eddie has been true to himself.”

Several comedians described Murphy as a figure who shaped their own careers.

“There is no us without you,” Rock said.

Lawrence, who starred with Murphy in “Life,” recalled asking for a photo early in his career and getting turned down. He said that is no longer much of an issue because their children married each other in 2025.

“Now I can get all the pictures I want,” Lawrence said with a smile. “Because we’re in-laws.”

Hall, Murphy’s longtime collaborator on “Coming to America,” said Murphy backed him for the film and pointed to the range he has shown onscreen.

“When Eddie does a family film, he plays a whole damn family,” Hall said.

Chappelle said he studied Murphy’s stand-up as a teenager while watching “Raw.”

“I would watch him every day after school like I was taking a class,” Chappelle said.

He also described Murphy as one of the defining figures in the industry and said a recent visit to Murphy’s home, where he saw Murphy’s grandchildren playing, gave him a fuller sense of his life. Chappelle also spoke about an interview in which he considered revisiting “Chappelle’s Show,” which he once stepped away from, and called it one of the most meaningful experiences of his career. He said Murphy encouraged him to revisit the idea and joked that he would join the project if it happens.

“You are still the hero I want to be,” Chappelle said.

Stevie Wonder said Murphy’s impact reaches past comedy.

“Laughter can make life livable,” Wonder said. “Eddie is more than a comedian … he is a universal reminder.”

Mike Myers, Murphy’s co-star in the “Shrek” films, said Murphy helped define Donkey and called the performance a “masterpiece.”

Jennifer Hudson performed songs from “Dreamgirls” in a musical tribute backed by a house band led by Rickey Minor.

The gala raised more than $2.5 million for AFI’s nonprofit education programs. The event also included the presentation of the Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal to cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, who said she found her voice through the institute.

Murphy’s career has lasted nearly 50 years across stand-up, television and film. In 2023, he received the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes and has spoken about a deeper appreciation for his journey.

“Thank you for giving me this night that I will remember forever and ever and ever,” Murphy said. “I love you.”