Morgan Freeman to receive lifetime achievement award

Freeman has won one Oscar and has been nominated for several

Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman is to receive a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute (AFI).

The 73-year-old Oscar winner will be presented with the award on 9 June.

AFI chair Sir Howard Stringer called Freeman "an American treasure" who brought a calm authority to his roles, "whether playing a prisoner, a president or God."

Freeman won an Oscar for his role in Million Dollar Baby in 2005. His next film is the thriller Red.

He was also nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for 1997's Street Smart, and has garnered three Academy nominations for best actor for Invictus, Driving Miss Daisy and The Shawshank Redemption.

His other credits include Bruce Almighty and Nurse Betty.

He will be the 39th recipient of the AFI Lifetime Achievement award. Others include Jack Nicholson, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, Elizabeth Taylor, Alfred Hitchcock and Martin Scorsese.

Stringer said Freeman had an "unmistakable voice that echoes through the hearts and minds of movie lovers around the world".

The AFI's Lifetime Achievement award is considered one of the highest honours in the US for a film actor.

Freeman's ceremony will take place in Los Angeles - it will be broadcast on US TV towards the end of June.