Mike Myers is to receive a prestigious award honouring film and movie comedy heroes.

The Austin Powers star will be given this year's Star Award from the American Film Institute at the annual Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado.

Past winners have included Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld, the Monty Python team and Robin Williams.

His citation for the award describes Myers as "one of the most talented performers working today, having created some of the most memorable characters in pop culture."

He began his career with the Second City comedy troupes, first in his native Toronto and then with the Chicago troupe, and performed in the UK in a double act with Comedy Store player Neil Mullarkey before finding success with Saturday Night Live, Wayne's World and Austin Powers.

The festival, which starts on February 6, will also honour director Kevin Smith, whose film Dogma was dropped by Disney after enraging some Catholics, with a freedom of expression award.

Event director Stu Smiley said : "Artists such as Mike Myers and Kevin Smith who make comedy film deserve to be recognised for their creative and commercial importance to the industry,

The festival, backed by the HBO network, has become a key date in America's TV industry calendar for producers seeking comedy talent.

Performances at this year's event include a musical about the life of former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, starring Kelsey Grammer, John Goodman and Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson.