Every year the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles honors an artist who has made a significant contribution to the motion picture arts. Tonight, George Lucas will present Samuel L. Jackson with the 23rd Annual American Cinematheque Award at this year's annual benefit gala. The award presentation features tributes from the likes of Vin Diesel, Andy Garcia, Sharon Stone, and Denzel Washington. AMC will air the tribute on December 9.

One of the hardest working actors in Hollywood, Jackson is an undisputed star. Besides his clout at the box office, he has been honored with a variety of awards from some of the most prestigious organizations. He won the Best Supporting Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991 for Jungle Fever and the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival in 1998 for Jackie Brown. He has received three Golden Globe nominations for Pulp Fiction, A Time to Kill and Jackie Brown, five NAACP Image Award nominations and one win in 2005 for his performance in Coach Carter, and most recently, he garnered two People's Choice Award nominations in 2006 and 2007 for Favorite Male Actor.

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