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Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro is to receive the Cecil B DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the Golden Globes next year.

The Taxi Driver and Raging Bull star, 67, will collect the prize at the 2011 awards, to be held on 16 January.

Making the announcement, actor Kevin Spacey described De Niro as being "universally acknowledged as one of the greatest actors of all time".

Previous recipients include Al Pacino, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.

Spacey hailed De Niro - who has made more than 70 films - for creating "some of cinema's most unforgettable moments".

"He has set the bar for every actor," the American Beauty star continued, saying the Godfather actor was "unafraid to transform himself, both inside and out."

De Niro is also being honoured for his contributions as a director, as a producer through his Tribeca Productions, and as a co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

Chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Cecil B DeMille Award is given annually to the "talented individuals who have made an incredible impact on the world of entertainment".

The Los Angeles ceremony, to be broadcast live across the US, will be hosted by comedian Ricky Gervais.

The Office and Extras creator made his debut as presenter earlier this year.