Aziz Ansari is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker known for his roles in film and television as well as his work as a standup comedian. He has received two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Peabody Award, and a Critics' Choice Award as well as nominations for a Grammy Award, a Directors Guild of America Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Writers Guild of America Award.
Ansari gained mainstream popularity portraying Tom Haverford in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation (2009–2015) for which he was nominated for an American Comedy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He transitioned to more mature work with his Netflix comedy series Master of None (2017–2021), where he served as a co-creator, writer, actor, and director. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series twice, the first time with Alan Yang for the episode "Parents" in 2016, and the second time with Lena Waithe for the episode "Thanksgiving" in 2017. As an actor, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy and was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series.
As a standup, he gained notoriety releasing his early albums starting with Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening (2010) followed by Dangerously Delicious (2012), Buried Alive (2013), and Live at Madison Square Garden (2015). He was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for Aziz Ansari: Right Now (2020). His most recent standup special Nightclub Comedian was released on Netflix in 2022.
Ansari has been recognized from numerous organizations such as Variety receiving a Power of Comedy Award in 2014, Smithsonian Magazine's American Ingenuity Award for Performing Arts in 2016, and the Britannia Award's Charlie Chaplin Award for Excellence in Comedy in 2017. Time included Ansari in their list of the Time 100 most influential people in 2016, and Rolling Stone listed him as being one of greatest stand-up comedians of all time, ranking him #49.
Major associations Critics' Choice Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Ref. Critics' Choice Television Award 2016 Best Comedy Series Master of None (season one) Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Emmy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.Primetime Emmy Awards 2016 Outstanding Comedy Series Master of None (season one) Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Master of None (episode: "Parents") Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Master of None (episode: "Parents") Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Master of None (episode: "Parents") 2017 Outstanding Comedy Series Master of None (season two) Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Master of None (episode: "The Dinner Party") Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Master of None (episode: "Thanksgiving")
Golden Globe Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Ref. 2015 Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy Master of None (season one) 2017 Master of None (season two)
Grammy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Ref. Best Comedy Album Right Now
Screen Actors Guild Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Ref. 2016 Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Master of None (season one)
Miscellaneous awards Organizations Year Category Work Result Ref. American Comedy Award 2014 Best Comedy Supporting Actor – TV Parks and Recreation Comedy Special of the Year Aziz Ansari: Buried Alive BTVA Voice Acting Award 2014Breakthrough Voice Actor of the Year Best Male Vocal Performance in a Feature Film in a Supporting Role Epic Denver Film Critics Society 2009 Best Acting Ensemble I Love You, Man Directors Guild of America Awards 2017 Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series Master of None (episode: "The Thief") Dorian Award 2017 TV Performance of the Year Master of None Gold Derby TV Award 2016 Best Comedy Series Best Comedy Lead Actor NAACP Image Award 2013 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Parks and Recreation 2016 Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series Master of None Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series Peabody Award 2017 Entertainment People's Choice Awards 2017 Favorite Premium Series Actor Poppy Awards 2012 Best Supporting Actor, ComedyParks and Recreation TCA Award 2016 Individual Achievement in Comedy Master of None (season one) Outstanding Achievement in Comedy Outstanding New Program 2017 Individual Achievement in Comedy Master of None (season two) Outstanding Achievement in Comedy Teen Choice Award 2010 Choice Comedian Aziz Ansari Writers Guild of America Awards 2017 Television: Comedy Series Master of None (season two) Young Hollywood Award 2014 Cuz You're Funny Aziz Ansari
Honorary awards Organizations Year Award Result Variety Magazine 2014 Power of Comedy Award Smithsonian Magazine 2016 American Ingenuity Award for Performing Arts Time Magazine 2016 List of the Time 100 most influential people Britannia Award 2017 Charlie Chaplin Award for Excellence in Comedy Rolling Stone 2017 Named as one of greatest stand-up comedians of all time
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