The American Cinema Editors will honor Spike Lee with the ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award, the organization announced on Thursday.
“From ‘She’s Gotta Have It’ in 1986 to ‘Da 5 Bloods’ in 2020, Spike has directed an astonishing number of feature films… 24!” ACE president Kevin Tent said. “Not to mention his work in documentaries, television, music videos and commercials. Spike‘s an artist who has entertained, enlightened and challenged us. But he’s not only a prolific director, he’s been a friend, producer and guidance counselor to countless young and emerging filmmakers. His generosity is an inspiration to us all. For these reasons and more, we at ACE recognize his enormous impact on the industry and are proud to present him with this much deserved award.”
Past recipients of the Golden Eddie include Quentin Tarantino, Kathleen Kennedy, Christopher Nolan, Lauren Shuler Donner, Guillermo del Toro, Vince Gilligan, J.J. Abrams, Nancy Meyers, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas and others.
The award will be presented to Lee during the 71st Annual ACE Eddie Awards on April 18 — the show will likely be virtual due to the pandemic.
Most recently, Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods,” which won Best Film from the National Board of Review, premiered on Netflix. His other recent credits include “BlacKkKlansman,” which won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well “Chi-Raq.” Of course, other credits include “Oldboy,” “Red Hook Summer.” “Inside Man,” “Summer of Sam,” “25th Hour,” “Jungle Fever,” “Malcolm X,” “Do the Right Thing” and “She’s Gotta Have it.”
Lee is also known for his legendary Air Jordan TV commercials and marketing campaigns with Michael Jordan for Nike. He has also directed music videos and shorts for Michael Jackson, Prince and Anita Baker.