The ceremony will take place in April.
Actor Tom Cruise, known for movies from Risky Business to Top Gun, will receive the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award at a Hollywood ceremony in April, organisers said on Wednesday (Oct 21).
The AFI, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting movies, has bestowed the honour annually since 1973. Previous recipients include Bette Davis, Gene Kelley, Elizabeth Taylor and Tom Hanks.
Cruise is known throughout the film business as one of the biggest champions of cinemas.
“As an actor and producer, he brings an extraordinary commitment to everything he does," said producer Kathleen Kennedy, chair of AFI's board of trustees. "What I especially admire is his deep belief in movies and their ability to bring people together."
Cruise has been nominated for three Academy Awards for acting and received an honorary Oscar last year for his lifetime of work.
His films include Jerry Maguire, Minority Report, A Few Good Men, Rain Man and the Mission: Impossible series.
Cruise's latest movie, the big-budget dark comedy Digger, has struggled at the box office, finishing fifth on US and Canadian charts in its opening weekend in October.