This article is a List of awards and nominations received by Sir Ian McKellen.
Sir Ian McKellen is an English actor. Over his distinguished career on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, six Laurence Olivier Awards, two Critics' Choice Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, five Primetime Emmy Awards, four British Academy Film Awards, and a British Academy Television Awards.
McKellen received two Academy Award nominations, his first for Best Actor for his portrayal as James Whale in the period drama Gods and Monsters (1998) with his second nomination being for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Gandalf the Grey in Peter Jackson's fantasy epic Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). He received nominations for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for playing King Richard III in the period drama Richard III (1995) as well as the Best Adapted Screenplay for the later. For his role as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003), he was nominated for two BAFTA Awards and four Screen Actors Guild Awards including a win for Best Supporting Actor.
For his work on television, he won the Golden Globe Award as well as a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his portrayal of Tsar Nicholas II in the HBO film Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (1996). He was Emmy-nominated for his roles in gay rights activist Bill Kraus in the HBO film And the Band Played On (1993), a fictionalized version of himself in the HBO comedy series Extras (2006), the title role in the PBS film King Lear (2008), and Number 2 / Curtis in AMC miniseries The Prisoner (2009). He was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing a theatrical dresser in the Starz movie The Dresser (2015).
On stage, McKellen has received two Tony Award nominations winning for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Antonio Salieri in the Broadway production of Amadeus in 1981. He was Tony-nominated for Best Leading Actor in a Play for Acting Shakespeare (1984). For his work on the West End stage in London, he received twelve Laurence Olivier Awards nominations, winning six times for his performances in Henrik Ibsen's The Pillars of Society (1977), Ben Jonson's The Alchemist (1978), Martin Sherman's Bent (1979), Michael Frayn's Wild Honey (1984), and William Shakespeare's Richard III (1991).
Major awards Academy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1999Best ActorGods and Monsters 2002Best Supporting ActorThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
BAFTA Awards Year Category Nominated work Result BAFTA Film Awards1997Best Adapted ScreenplayRichard IIIBest Actor in a Leading Role 2002The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 2004Best Actor in a Supporting RoleThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King BAFTA TV Awards2016Best Actor in a Supporting RoleThe Dresser
Emmy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Primetime Emmy Awards 1994Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a MovieAnd the Band Played On 1996Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny2007Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy SeriesExtras2009Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a MovieKing Lear2010The Prisoner
Golden Globe Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1996Best Actor – Motion Picture DramaRichard III 1997Best Supporting Actor – TelevisionRasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny 1999Best Actor – Motion Picture DramaGods and Monsters
Screen Actors Guild Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1999Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading RoleGods and Monsters 2002Outstanding Male Actor in a Supporting RoleThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture2003The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2004The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Tony Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1981Best Actor in a Leading Role in a PlayAmadeus 1984Acting Shakespeare
Laurence Olivier Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1977Actor of the Year in a RevivalPillars of the Community1978Comedy Performance of the YearThe Alchemist1979Actor of the Year in a New PlayBent1984Actor of the Year in a RevivalWild Honey1986Best Actor in a Leading RoleThe Cherry Orchard1990Othello and Bent1991Richard III1992Uncle Vanya2008King Lear2017No Man's Land2019King Lear
Other theatre awards Organizations Year Category Work Result Drama Desk Awards1974Outstanding PerformanceThe Wood Demon / King Lear1981Outstanding Actor in a PlayAmadeus1984Outstanding One-Person ShowActing Shakespeare1987Outstanding Actor in a PlayWild HoneyEvening Standard Theatre Awards 1984Best ActorCoriolanus 1989Othello Garland Award1998Outstanding Solo PerformanceA Knight Out in Los Angeles
Critics awards Organizations Year Category Work Result Critics' Choice Movie Awards 1998Best Actor in a Motion PictureGods and Monsters2003Best Cast in a Motion PictureThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KingChicago Film Critics Association1998Best ActorGods and MonstersLos Angeles Film Critics Association1998Best ActorNational Board of Review 1998Best ActorToronto Film Critics Association1998Best ActorFlorida Film Critics Circle 1998Best ActorGods and Monsters / Apt Pupil
Miscellaneous awards Organizations Year Category Work Result Annie Awards 2006Voice Acting in a Feature ProductionFlushed Away British Independent Film Award1998Best ActorGods and Monsters CableAce Award1993Best Supporting Actor Miniseries/MovieAnd the Band Played On European Film Award1995Best ActorRichard III Poppy Awards 2015Best Supporting ActorThe Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies San Sebastián International Film Festival 1998Best ActorGods and Monsters Satellite Awards 1996Best Supporting Actor - TelevisionRasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny1998Best Actor Motion Picture DramaGods and Monsters2001Best Supporting Actor - Motion PictureThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Saturn Awards1998Best Supporting ActorApt Pupil2001The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring2003The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King2012The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Teen Choice Awards 2003Choice Movie VillainX22006X-Men: The Last Stand
Honorary awards Year Ceremony Category 2004Pride International Film FestivalLifetime Achievement & Distinction Award2006Olivier AwardsSociety's Special Award20062009Evening Standard AwardsThe Lebedev Special Award2010Empire AwardsEmpire Icon Award2017Istanbul International Film FestivalHonorary Award 2026Honorary Citizen of ChristchurchHonorary citizenship
References
Sources
External links
The papers of Sir Ian McKellen, actor are held by the Victoria and Albert Museum Theatre and Performance Department.
Biography of Sir Ian McKellen, CH, CBE, Debrett's