Freeman will be receiving the award in recognition of his contributions to advancing the art of filmmaking. The actor is a current Academy Award nominee for his performance in Invictus. He won an Oscar for his performance in Million Dollar Baby, and has received three other nominations for The Shawshank Redemption, Driving Miss Daisy, and Street Smart.

Freeman received a Tony Award nomination in 1978 for The Mighty Gents; his other Broadway credits include The Country Girl, Purlie, and The Gospel at Colonus.