The AFI Life Achievement Award was established by the Board of Directors of the American Film Institute in 1973 to honor a single individual for his or her lifetime contribution to enriching American culture through motion pictures and television. This year, AFI chronicles the success of acclaimed film director Mike Nichols, one of only twelve individuals to have won all the major American entertainment awards: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. Nichols has also worked with movie stars like Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and three-time Academy Award winner Jack Nicholson in various films.