Michael Jai White has officially made history as the first non-Asian to receive the Bruce Lee Award.
The 61-year-old actor, filmmaker, and lifelong martial artist was honoured with the Bruce Lee Award at the 2025 Asian World Film Festival, becoming the first non-Asian recipient of the trophy from the Bruce Lee Foundation.
The emotional weight intensified as Shannon Lee — Bruce Lee’s daughter, Foundation president, and White’s longtime friend and former Wushu classmate — personally presented the honour.
For White, who built his early life and later his career around martial arts, the moment felt like a full-circle tribute to the man who shaped his discipline.
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“Last night I was honored to receive the prestigious Bruce Lee Award at the AWFF!” he exclaimed. “Shannon Lee, Bruce’s daughter who heads the Bruce Lee Foundation is also a longtime friend and Wushu classmate on mine who’s made me the first non Asian to receive the award.”
“Her father was, and is the greatest and most inspirational martial artist to have walked the earth. This honor is the most heartfelt award I could ever receive! I don’t know who ‘Tony, Emmy or Oscar’ were but I damn sure know Bruce Lee!”
Before Hollywood ever cast him in roles like Black Dynamite, Spawn, or even Mike Tyson for HBO, White was a dedicated mixed martial artist. His foundation in Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Taekwondo, Wushu, and multiple other disciplines has anchored every punch thrown across his nearly 80-film career — from Undisputed 2 and Blood and Bone to Falcon Rising.
For fans, the Bruce Lee Award isn’t just a nod to his filmography; it’s a recognition of his authenticity. White has always been more than an on-screen action star — he’s a trained fighter whose technique comes from years on the mat, not movie magic.
Read more: New Bruce Lee Biography Examines His Role in Defining Asian America
Even after 70-plus films, White hasn’t slowed down. He’s currently starring in Carl Weber’s The Family Business, which premiered its sixth season on BET+ in October. In the series, he plays Vegas Duncan, one of the sons in the sprawling Duncan crime dynasty led by Ernie Hudson’s L.C. Duncan.
He also leads the action-comedy Hostile Takeover, now airing on STARZ, where he portrays hitman Pete Strykyr — a role fans on Letterboxd and Rotten Tomatoes have praised for its blend of humour, intensity, and White’s trademark physicality.
On the big screen, White appears opposite Dolph Lundgren in Exit Protocol, an assassin thriller that keeps both action veterans operating at full throttle.
For the martial arts community, the moment stands as a long-overdue acknowledgement. For White, it’s the most personal milestone of his career — a recognition not just of his work, but of the discipline and philosophy that shaped his life.
With the Bruce Lee Award in hand, Michael Jai White steps into a new chapter where his contributions — cinematic, cultural, and martial — are finally celebrated at the level they’ve earned.
