Eddie Murphy, beloved star of such hit films as Beverly Hills Cop, The Nutty Professor, Bowfinger, Norbit and Dreamgirls will be honored with the prestigious Mark Twain award at this year’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

NY Daily News reports that Murphy, 54, “will receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on October 18 in a show that will be broadcast nationally.” The humor prize has gone to such past honorees as Jay Leno, Carol Burnett, Tina Fey and Whoopi Goldberg.

Murphy has been noted for his influence on the comedy community at large, making an indelible mark on the entertainment landscape with his raw, edgy stand-up comedy and time spent as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Several actors/comedians have cited Murphy as a strong comedic influence: Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson, to name a few.

As written in NY Daily News, Tracy Morgan called Murphy his “comic hero” saying that Murphy “set the tone for the entire industry long ago.”

Many people have sought out replicas of Eddie Murphy’s particular style and brand of humor, but it seems that over the years, his legacy is all his own. He even had a stint as a singer.

In a written statement issued by Murphy, he said that he was “deeply honored by the recognition and to join the list of past recipients of the Twain Prize.” The affair is always a grand event with a congregation of colorful and inspiring guests and honorees.

To continue his work as a pioneering comedian, Murphy is set to play legendary comic Richard Pryor in the 2015 biopic starring Murphy as the comedian Pryor.

As of 2014, films featuring Murphy have grossed billions in the U.S. and Canada and twice that worldwide. He has donated to the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, amongst other charities. The celebration is sure to be a venerable spectacle.