Eddie Murphy to be honored with Mark Twain Prize for humour

Eddie Murphy will receive this year's Mark Twain Prize for American humour at a gala event in Washington in October.

The 54-year-old actor and comedian said he was "deeply honoured... to join the distinguished list of past recipients of this award," the BBC reported.

The award, which is named after the 19th Century novelist and essayist, born with the name Samuel Clemens in 1835, is awarded annually to a person who made an impact with their humour and social commentary.

The honour was first presented to Richard Pryor in 1998, and other recipients include names like Bill Cosby, Ellen DeGeneres and Jay Leno.

Murphy had got his break in comedy in 1980 when he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live, and went to become one of the top box-office performers in the movie industry.

The award will be presented at a ceremony held at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.