New York October 05: George Clooney will be the 46th recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award. The American Film Institute announced Thursday it will honor the actor-director at a gala tribute in Los Angeles in June.

The 56-year-old Clooney may be on the young side for AFI Life Achievement Award, but this isn't his first. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 2015 handed him its lifetime achievement award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

AFI board of trustees chairman Howard Stringer calls Clooney "America's leading man." Stringer in a statement hails Clooney as "a modern-day screen icon who combines the glamour of a time gone by with a ferocious passion for ensuring art's impact echoes beyond the screen."

Clooney's next directorial effort is the 1950s home invasion drama "Suburbicon," which opens later this month. (voa)