Will Smith to receive MTV Generation Award at 25th Anniversary edition MTV Movie Awards

Will Smith played Dr. Robert Neville in the 2007 film I Am Legend.
Will Smith played Dr. Robert Neville in the 2007 film I Am Legend.

MTV announced today that it will honor Will Smith with the Generation Award during the 2016 MTV Movie Awards. Smith, originally an rapper and television star (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), began his film career with the indie movies Where the Day Takes You & Six Degrees of Separation, but cemented his superstar status in the blockbusters Independence Day & Bad Boys. He has been conquering box offices ever since, with titles like Men in Black, Ali, Concussion and the upcoming Suicide Squad, where he plays Floyd Lawton a.k.a. Headshot – all while paving the way for leading men to be comedic, dramatic and socially conscious.

The 2016 MTV Movie Awards will be hosted by Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart and airs on Sunday, April 10th at 8:00 p.m. from outdoors on the Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank, California.

“Will Smith and MTV have grown up together and share a very cool history,” said Executive Producer Casey Patterson. “MTV was a part of every phase of Will’s career and he has been a huge part of what defined the MTV culture from the beginning. From TV’s The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, to his music and amazing movies, Will is the voice of a generation and not afraid to use it. The 25th anniversary of the Movie Awards is the perfect year to honor #BIGWILLIESTYLE as only MTV can – with lots of big surprises in store.”

Smith is a seventeen-time MTV Movie Award nominee and five-time winner, including two wins for Best Male Performance (I Am Legend in 2008 and Ali in 2001). He also hosted the 1994 MTV Movie Awards when Menace II Society took home the top prize for Movie of the Year.

The MTV Generation Award is the show’s highest honor, acknowledging an actor who creates an amazing body of work throughout their career that speaks directly to the MTV audience. Past recipients include Robert Downey Jr., Mark Wahlberg, Jamie Foxx, Johnny Depp, Reese Witherspoon, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Sandra Bullock, Mike Myers, Tom Cruise and Jim Carrey.