The American Film Institute is awarding Viola Davis an honorary doctorate.

She will receive her honor on August 8.

Viola Davis keeps making a powerful impact in the film industry.

The American Film Institute will award the honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts degree to the acclaimed actress and producer Viola Davis, recognizing her outstanding contributions to the art of film. She will be honored in August, alongside renowned film editor and sound designer Walter Murch.

“Both of their contributions to the craft have inspired audiences globally—and will continue to inspire this year’s graduates of the AFI Conservatory,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO, in a statement.

Davis has built a remarkable and illustrious career across film, television, and theater. Her impact goes beyond acting, as she is also an artist, activist, philanthropist, and a New York Times best-selling author. In 2017, Time named her one of the world’s most influential people, a recognition followed by the 2022 Public Counsel’s William O. Douglas Award for her dedication to social justice and the 2025 Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes.

In 2023, she won a Grammy for narrating the audiobook of her memoir, Finding Me, making her one of the few Black entertainers to achieve EGOT status. This accolade adds to her impressive collection of awards, which includes an Academy Award for Fences, an Emmy Award for How to Get Away With Murder, and a Tony Award for her performances in Fences and King Hedley II.

Outside of her acting career, Davis has dedicated herself to fighting childhood hunger, addressing community needs through her Davis-Tennon Foundation, and advocating for diversity in Hollywood. In 2011, she co-founded JuVee Productions with her husband, Julius Tennon, to challenge the barriers Hollywood has placed on Black performers’ careers.

The American Film Institute will add Davis to a distinguished list of past honorary degree recipients, such as Maya Angelou, Angela Bassett, and Spike Lee. Davis has previously been honored with honorary doctorates from The Juilliard School and her alma mater, Rhode Island College.

She will be celebrated on August 8 during the AFI Conservatory’s commencement ceremony for the Class of 2025, which will take place at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.