Orson Welles was an American film director, actor, writer, and producer who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. He received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, Peabody Award, and Grammy Award as well as nominations for a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award.
He has also received numerous honors including the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1975, the British Film Institute Fellowship in 1983, and the Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 1984. He was inducted into both the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1979, and the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1988. Welles was presented with France's Legion of Honour in 1982.
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Best Director | Citizen Kane | Nominated | [1] |
| Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | Won | |||
| 1970 | Academy Honorary Award | Received | [2] | |
Directed Academy Award performances
Under Welles' direction, these actors have received Academy Award nominations for their performances in their respective roles.
| Year | Performer | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Award for Best Actor | |||
| 1941 | Himself | Citizen Kane | Nominated |
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress | |||
| 1942 | Agnes Moorehead | The Magnificent Ambersons | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Best Foreign Actor | Chimes at Midnight | Nominated | [3] |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Butterfly | Nominated | [4] |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Best Comedy Album | The Begatting of the President | Nominated | |
| 1976 | Best Spoken Word Album | Immortal Sherlock Holmes | Nominated | |
| 1977 | Great American Documents | Nominated | [5] | |
| 1979 | Citizen Kane | Nominated | [6] | |
| 1980 | Orson Welles & Helen Hayes at Their Best | Nominated | ||
| 1981 | Obediently Yours | Nominated | ||
| 1982 | Donovan's Brain | Won | [7] | |
| 1993 | This is Orson Welles | Nominated | [8] [9] | |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Palme d'Or | Othello | Won | [10] |
| 1959 | Best Actor | Compulsion | Won | |
| 1966 | Palme d'Or | Chimes at Midnight | Nominated | [11] |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Career Achievement Award | Orson Welles | Received | [12] |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Best Actor | Citizen Kane | Won | [13] [14] |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Best Picture | Citizen Kane | Won | [15] |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Golden Lion | The Stranger | Won | . [16] |
| 1970 | Golden Lion | Career Achievement | Received | [17] |
| Year | Association | Award | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | Chicago Drama League Prize for Twelfth Night | Recipient | [18] |
| 1945 | Interracial Film and Radio Guild Award for Contributions to Interracial Harmony through Radio | Recipient | [19] |
| 1938 | The New York Drama Study Club Award | Recipient | [20] |
| 1939 | Essex County Symphony Society's Achievement Award | Recipient | [21] |
| 1958 | Peabody Award for The Fountain of Youth | Recipient | [22] |
| 1972 | American Theater Hall of Fame | Inaugural member | [23] |
| 1975 | American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award | Recipient | [24] |
| 1979 | National Association of Broadcasters Broadcasting Hall of Fame | Induction | [25] |
| 1982 | Order of Commander of the Légion d'honneur | Recipient | |
| 1983 | Académie des Beaux-Arts | Inducted | |
| 1983 | British Film Institute Fellowship | Recipient | [26] |
| 1984 | Directors Guild of America's D. W. Griffith Award | Recipient | [27] |
| 1984 | The Academy of Magical Arts | Special Fellowship | [28] [29] |
| 1985 | National Board of Review Career Achievement Award | Recipient | [30] |
| 1988 | National Radio Hall of Fame | Inducted | [31] |