List of awards and nominations received by James Earl Jones

This article is a List of awards and nominations received by James Earl Jones.

James Earl Jones awards and nominations
James Earl Jones in 2001
Totals[a]
Wins6
Nominations18
Note
  1. ^ Certain award groups do not simply award one winner. They acknowledge several different recipients, have runners-up, and have third place. Since this is a specific recognition and is different from losing an award, runner-up mentions are considered wins in this award tally. For simplification and to avoid errors, each award in this list has been presumed to have had a prior nomination.

James Earl Jones was an American actor known for his roles on stage and screen. Jones was known as one of the few entertainers to have won the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). Jones received two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award and three Tony Awards. While Jones never won a competitive Oscar, he was presented with the Honorary Academy Award in 2011 by Ben Kingsley.[1][2]

Jones received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for The Great White Hope (1970). He was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Claudine (1974), the Screen Actors Guild Award for his role in Cry, the Beloved Country (1995) and the Independent Spirit Award for Matewan (1987). He gained worldwide recognition for voicing Darth Vader in the George Lucas space opera Star Wars films (1977–present) and for Mufasa in the Walt Disney animated film The Lion King (1994). He also acted in films such as Dr. Strangelove (1964), Conan the Barbarian (1982), Coming to America (1988), Field of Dreams (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Sandlot (1990), Patriot Games (1992), and Sneakers (1992).

For his work in the theatre, he received four competitive Tony Award nominations for Best Actor in a Play winning twice for his originating the roles of boxer Jack Jefferson in Howard Sackler's The Great White Hope in 1969 and as a working class father Troy Maxson in August Wilson's Fences in 1987. He was Tony-nominated for playing part of an aging couple in a revival of the Ernest Thompson play On Golden Pond (2005), and an Ex-President in the Gore Vidal revival The Best Man (2012). In 2017 he received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre at the 71st Tony Awards. He also won six Drama Desk Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards, and a Theater World Award.

For his work in television he received eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations winning twice for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for Heat Wave and for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Gabriel's Fire both in 1991. He was Emmy-nominated for his roles in East Side West Side (1963), By Dawn's Early Light (1990), Picket Fences (1994), Under One Roof (1995), Frasier (1997), and Everwood (2004). He also has been nominated for three Grammy Awards winning in 1977 for Best Spoken Word Album for Great American Documents.

Over his career he received several honorary awards including the National Medal of the Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009, and the Academy Honorary Awards in 2011.

Major awards

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Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
1970 Best Actor The Great White Hope Nominated [3]
2011 Honorary Award Lifetime Achievement Won [4]
Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
Primetime Emmy Awards
1963 Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series East Side/West Side Nominated [5]
1990 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries By Dawn's Early Light Nominated [6]
1991 Heat Wave Won [7]
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Gabriel's Fire Won
1994 Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Picket Fences Nominated [8]
1995 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Under One Roof Nominated [9]
1997 Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Frasier Nominated [10]
2004 Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Everwood Nominated [11]
Daytime Emmy Awards
1988 Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming CBS Schoolbreak Special Nominated [12]
2000 Outstanding Performer in Children's Special Summer's End Won
Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
1970 Most Promising Newcomer - Male The Great White Hope Won [13]
Best Actor in a Drama Film Nominated [13]
1974 Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical Film Claudine Nominated [13]
1990 Best Actor in a Television Series - Drama Gabriel's Fire Nominated [13]
1991 Pros and Cons Nominated [13]
Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
1970 Best Spoken Word The Great White Hope Nominated [14]
1977 Great American Documents Won [15]
2001 Best Spoken Word for Children The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey Nominated [16]
Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
1995 Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role Cry, the Beloved Country Nominated [17]
2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Won [18]
Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
1969 Best Actor in a Play The Great White Hope Won [19]
1987 Fences Won [20]
2005 On Golden Pond Nominated [21]
2012 The Best Man Nominated [22]
2017 Special Tony Award Lifetime Achievement Award Won [23]

Other theatre awards

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Organizations Year Category Work Result Ref.
Drama Desk Awards 1965 Vernon Rice Award Othello Won [24]
1969 Distinguished Performance The Great White Hope Won [25]
1971 Les Blancs Won [26]
1973 The Cherry Orchard Won [27]
Hamlet Won [28]
1978 Outstanding Actor in a Play Paul Robeson Nominated [29]
1987 Fences Won [30]
2008 Special Award Honored [31]
Outer Critics Circle Awards 1987 Outstanding Actor in a Play Fences Won
2005 Outstanding Actor in a Play On Golden Pond Nominated
2008 Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Won
2012 Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play The Best Man Won
Theatre World Awards 1962 Distinguished Performance Moon on a Rainbow Shawl Won

Miscellaneous accolades

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Organizations Year Category Work Result Ref.
Black Reel Award 2000 Best Supporting Actor - Network or Cable Santa and Pete Nominated
2016 Best Actor - Limited Series or TV Movie Driving Miss Daisy Nominated
2020 Best Voice Performance The Lion King Nominated
CableACE Awards 1987 Actor in a Comedy Series Faerie Tale Theatre Nominated
1991 Actor in a Dramatic Series American Playwrights Theater Won
Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Heat Wave Won
Critics' Choice Television Awards 2014 Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series The Big Bang Theory Nominated
Independent Spirit Award 1987 Best Supporting Actor Matewan Nominated
Kansas City Film Critics Circle 1995 Best Actor Cry My Beloved Country Won
NAACP Image Award 1975 Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Claudine Won
1989 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Field of Dreams Nominated
1993 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Gabriel's Fire Won
1996 Outstanding Performance in a Children's Special Happily Ever After Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture Cry My Beloved Country Nominated
1998 Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Frasier Nominated
2020 Outstanding Character Voice Performance The Lion King Nominated

Honorary awards

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Organizations Year Notes Result Ref.
National Medal of Arts 1992 Medal Honored [32]
National Board of Review 1995 Carer Achievement Award Honored
Kennedy Center Honors 2002 Medal Honored [33]
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2009 Life Achievement Award Honored [34]
Chicago Film Critics Association 2011 Oscar Micheaux Award Honored
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 2011 Academy Honorary Award Honored [35]

References

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  1. ^ "Why James Earl Jones' honorary Oscar doesn't get him an EGOT". Los Angeles Times. 4 August 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  2. ^ "Actor James Earl Jones receives Oscar in London". BBC News. 13 November 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  3. ^ "43rd Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  4. ^ "Actor James Earl Jones receives Oscar in London". BBC News. 13 November 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  5. ^ "1963 Nominees / Winners Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  6. ^ "1990 Nominees / Winners Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  7. ^ "1991 Nominees / Winners Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  8. ^ "1994 Nominees / Winners Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  9. ^ "1995 Nominees / Winners Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  10. ^ "1997 Nominees / Winners Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  11. ^ "2004 Nominees / Winners Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  12. ^ "James Earl Jones - Awards". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  13. ^ a b c d e "James Earl Jones - Golden Globes". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  14. ^ "12th Annual Grammy Awards". Recording Academy. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  15. ^ "19th Annual Grammy Awards". Recording Academy. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  16. ^ "43rd Annual Grammy Awards". Recording Academy. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  17. ^ "2nd Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  18. ^ "SAG to honor James Earl Jones". The Hollywood Reporter. 2 October 2008. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  19. ^ "The 1969 Tony Award Nominations". American Theatre Wing. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  20. ^ "The 1987 Tony Award Nominations". American Theatre Wing. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  21. ^ "The 2005 Tony Award Nominations". American Theatre Wing. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  22. ^ "2012 Tony Awards Nominations Announced; Once Earns 11 Nominations". Playbill.com. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  23. ^ "Tony Awards: James Earl Jones to Receive Lifetime Achievement Honor". The Hollywood Reporter. 27 April 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  24. ^ "1965 Drama Desk Awards". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  25. ^ "1969 Drama Desk Awards". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  26. ^ "1971 Drama Desk Awards". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  27. ^ "1973 Drama Desk Awards". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  28. ^ "1973 Drama Desk Awards". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  29. ^ "1978 Drama Desk Awards". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  30. ^ "1987 Drama Desk Awards". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  31. ^ "2008 Drama Desk Awards". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  32. ^ "James Earl Jones". National Medal of the Arts. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  33. ^ "James Earl Jones". Kennedy Center. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  34. ^ "James Earl Jones to Be Honored with 2008 SAG Life Achievement Award". Playbill. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  35. ^ "Actor James Earl Jones receives Oscar in London". BBC News. Retrieved August 18, 2024.