Adam Sandler is about to receive a huge honor, just before the release of his latest Netflix movie.
The actor will be recognized with the People’s Icon Award at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards on Feb. 18, according to an announcement Wednesday. Simu Liu will host the annual awards ceremony at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, and the event will air live on NBC and E! and streaming on Peacock.
Sandler joins People’s Choice honoree Lenny Kravitz, who was previously announced as the winner of this year’s Music Icon Award and will perform at the show. Previous winners of the People’s Icon Award include Ryan Reynolds, Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston and Melissa McCarthy.
“Adam Sandler has been a fixture in the industry for decades, entertaining us since he started Saturday night live more than 30 years ago,” said Jen Neal, executive vice president of live and special events at NBCUniversal Entertainment. “Of Billy Madison to Lord facts, its unforgettable characters have stood the test of time and left their mark on audiences for generations. “We are excited to honor him with this year’s People’s Icon Award.”
Sandler, who started out as a comedian and SNL The actor, before moving on to film stardom, remains as busy as ever. His 2023 credits include Netflix Murder mystery 2, You’re not so invited to my Bat Mitzvah and the animated feature Lion. She stars alongside Carey Mulligan in director Johan Renck’s sci-fi drama. The astronautComing to Netflix on March 1st.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter which was published last year, Sandler reflected on connecting with the useless characters he often plays in his films.
“I guess I connect with the underdogs,” Sandler said at the time. “In real life, I have always rooted for the underdog. When I go to a basketball court and play against people one-on-one, if someone says, ‘I’m going to kick your ass,’ it’s usually a game where I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m going to win this.’ time.’ Because I’m an underdog and I feel very comfortable being an underdog.”