The following is a list of awards and nominations received by American comedian, writer, director, producer and actor Elaine May .
She began her career as a improvisational comedian with Mike Nichols during the 1960s. Together, they performed onstage from clubs in Greenwich Village to the Broadway stage. They released multiple comedy albums, receiving four Grammy Award nominations and winning the Best Comedy Album award in 1962 for An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay for her work on Warren Beatty 's Heaven Can Wait Primary Colors Academy Honorary Award in 2021. For her work on the Broadway stage, she received a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play for Kenneth Lonergan 's revival of The Waverly Gallery
In 2013, May was awarded the National Medal of Arts for her lifetime contributions to American comedy by President Barack Obama in a ceremony in the White House. She was awarded for her "groundbreaking wit and a keen understanding of how humor can illuminate our lives, Ms. May has evoked untold joy, challenged expectations, and elevated spirits across our Nation."[ 1] A New Leaf Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[ 2]
Year
Category
Nominated work
Result
Ref.
1969
Special Theatrical Award
Adaptation / Next
Won
[ 15]
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Won
2019
Outstanding Actress in a Play
The Waverly Gallery Won
Year
Category
Nominated work
Result
Ref.
1994
Lifetime Achievement Award
—
Honored
[ 16]
^ "President Obama to Award 2012 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal" . whitehouse.gov . Retrieved February 1, 2016 – via National Archives .^ Chow, Andrew R. (December 11, 2019). "See the 25 New Additions to the National Film Registry, From Purple Rain to Clerks" . Time . New York, NY. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019 . ^ a b c "Academy Awards Database Search - Elaine May" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2022 .^ "51st Academy Awards" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2021 .^ "71st Academy Awards" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2021 .^ Coyle, Jake (June 24, 2021). "Oscars to honor Elaine May, Danny Glover, Samuel L. Jackson" . Associated Press Archived from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2021 . ^ "BAFTA Awards - Adapted Screenplay in 1999" . British Academy of Film and Television Arts . Retrieved December 31, 2022 .^ "Golden Globes Awards - Elaine May" . Hollywood Foreign Press Association . Retrieved December 31, 2022 .^ "Artist: Elaine May" . The Recording Academy . Archived from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2020 .^ "Elaine May, a comedy great with Chicago roots, wins first Tony Award at 87" . Chicago Sun-Times Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2020 .^ Cardwell, Diane (January 7, 2001). "Critics Group Honors Quirky List of Film Favorites" . The New York Times Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2018 . ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (October 31, 2019). "LAFCA To Honor Elaine May With Career Achievement Award" . Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2020 . ^ "1998 Awards (2nd Annual)" . Online Film Critics Society . January 3, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2021 .^ "2000 Awards (4th Annual)" . Online Film Critics Society. January 3, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2021 .^ a b c "Elaine May" . Playbill . Retrieved May 10, 2020 .^ a b McNary, Dave (January 19, 2016). "Elaine May Honored by Writers Guild of America" . Variety Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2020 . ^ "2001, 7th Annual Awards" . Chlotrudis Society for Independent Films Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2024 .^ "Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films - 1979 Awards" . IMDb . Retrieved June 10, 2024 .^ "Past Scripter Awards" . USC Scripter Award . Retrieved June 27, 2024 .
