For the first time in AFI history, America’s highest honor for a career in film was bestowed upon a composer when John Williams received the Life Achievement Award.

“John Williams has written the soundtrack to our lives,” said Sir Howard Stringer, chair of the AFI Board of Trustees. “Note by note, through chord and chorus, his genius for marrying music with movies has elevated the art form to symphonic levels and inspired generations of audiences to be enriched by the magic of the movies. AFI is proud to present him with its 44th Life Achievement Award.”

AFM Local 47 President John Acosta and composer John Williams. (Photos: Eleonora Ghioldi)

Williams’ storied career as the composer behind many of the greatest American films and television series of all time boasts over 150 credits across seven decades. Perhaps best known for his enduring collaboration with director Steven Spielberg, his scores are among the most iconic and recognizable in film history, from the edge-of-your-seat “Jaws” (1975) motif to the emotional swell of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982) and the haunting elegies of “Schindler’s List” (1993). Always epic in scale, his music has helped define over half a century of the motion picture medium. With five Academy Award wins and 49 nominations in total, Williams holds the record for the most Oscar nominations of any living person.

Williams was honored at a Gala Tribute at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on June 9. The televised special, “AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to John Williams,” aired on TNT June 15, followed by an encore presentation on sister network Turner Classic Movies Sept. 12 during a night of programming dedicated to Williams.