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The Devil Wears Prada actor Meryl Streep, is regarded as the finest actress of her generation and it comes as no surprise that she will be honoured with the Golden Globes lifetime achievement award at the annual ceremony in January, organizers announced on Thursday.

Streep, a three-time Oscar winner, will be presented with the Cecil B. DeMille award in recognition of her 40 years in the industry.

"She has always taken roles with strong female leads, creating art by showing vulnerability and portraying truth on the big screen. Simply put, she is a trailblazer, having paved the way for women in television, film and stage," Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) President Lorenzo Sofia said in a statement.

"For shattering gender and age barriers, all with finesse and grace, the HFPA is humbled to bestow this honor upon her," Sofia added.

The HFPA organizes the Golden Globes awards for film and television, one of the biggest ceremonies in Hollywood's long awards season. The 2017 ceremony will take place in Beverly Hills on Jan. 8.

Streep's most recent film was the 2016 comedy Florence Foster Jenkins in which she plays a rich, elderly American with no talent for singing but big ambitions.

The 67 year-old actress won Oscars for her performances in The Iron Lady, Sophie's Choice and Kramer vs. Kramer. She has received a record-setting 19 Oscar nominations during her career.

Streep joins Denzel Washington, George Clooney, Woody Allen and Jodie Foster as recipients of the Cecil B. DeMille award.