Los Angeles, Jan 16 (IANS): Veteran actor Morgan Freeman has been honoured with the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille award at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards here for his outstanding contribution to the world of entertainment.

The 74-year-old has acted in films like "The Shawshank Redemption", "Invictus", "Million Dollar Baby", "Deep Impact" and "Bruce Almighty" in his almost five decade-long career.

Freeman, who received a standing ovation from the Hollywood fraternity, was awarded by actor Sidney Poitier, who hailed him as "a prince in his profession".

Actress Helen Mirren too came on to share the stage with Freeman, and playfully chided about how the actor has done over 50 films in his career, and did only one - "Red" - with her.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Freeman made his acting debut at the age of nine in a school play, won a state-wide drama competition when he was 12, performed on a Nashville radio show while still in high school, danced at the 1964 World's Fair and first appeared on screen in 1965 as an extra in "The Pawnbroker".

He won a best actor Golden Globe in 1990 for "Driving Miss Daisy" and was nominated three more times -- for "The Shawshank Redemption", "Million Dollar Baby", for which he won an Oscar, and "Invictus".

The Cecil B. DeMille award winners are chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) board of directors and presented each year.