One of the most recognizable movie composers of all-time is about become the very first to win an AFI Life Achievement Award.
John Williams — known for his work on Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, and Superman — is set to awarded the 44th AFI Life Achievement Award, the organization announced on Thursday. Previous winners include John Ford, Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Dustin Hoffman, Harrison Ford, and Meryl Streep.
The most recent winners are: Mel Brooks in 2012, Jane Fonda in 2013, and Steve Martin in 2014.
Sir Howard Stringer, chair of the AFI Board of Trustees said that Williams has written some of the more iconic scores, making him an obvious choice for this award.
“John Williams has written the soundtrack to our lives. Note by note, through chord and chorus, his genius for marrying music with movies has elevated the art form to symphonic levels and inspired generations of audiences to be enriched by the magic of the movies. AFI is proud to present him with its 44th Life Achievement Award.”
Williams has won five Academy Awards and has been nominated 49 times. His most recent work will be heard in this year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens.