This is a list of awards and nominations received by the American composer John Williams.
John Williams has been nominated for 54 Academy Awards, winning 5; 6 Emmy Awards, winning 3; 26 Golden Globe Awards, winning 4; 76 Grammy Awards, winning 26; 16 British Academy Film Awards, winning 7; 23 Saturn Awards, winning 10. In 2022, Williams was appointed an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II, "for services to film music".
With 54 Oscar nominations, Williams currently holds the record for the most Oscar nominations for a living person, [1] [2] and is the second most nominated person in Academy Awards history behind Walt Disney with 59, as well as the only person in the history of the Academy Awards to have received nominations in seven consecutive decades. Forty-eight of Williams's Oscar nominations are for Best Original Score and five are for Best Original Song. He won four Oscars for Best Original Score and one for Best Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score ( Fiddler on the Roof ).
Williams has won the Grammy Awards for Best Instrumental Composition and Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media several times for his scores for Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind , Superman, The Empire Strikes Back, E.T. the Extraterrestrial, Munich, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Book Thief, The Force Awakens and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The competition includes composers of instrumental music of any genre.
Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
British Academy Film Awards | ||||
1976 | Anthony Asquith Award for Original Film Music | Jaws and The Towering Inferno | Won | [41] |
1979 | Star Wars | Won | [42] | |
Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Nominated | |||
1981 | Best Original Film Music | The Empire Strikes Back | Won | [43] |
1982 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Nominated | [44] | |
1983 | Best Score for a Film | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | Won | [45] |
1989 | Empire of the Sun | Won | [46] | |
1994 | Schindler's List | Won | [47] | |
1999 | Anthony Asquith Award for Original Film Music | Saving Private Ryan | Nominated | [48] |
2003 | Catch Me If You Can | Nominated | [49] | |
2006 | Memoirs of a Geisha | Won | [50] | |
2012 | Best Original Music | War Horse | Nominated | [51] |
2013 | Lincoln | Nominated | [52] | |
2014 | The Book Thief | Nominated | [53] | |
2016 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Nominated | [54] | |
2020 | Best Original Score | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Nominated | [55] |
Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Primetime Emmy Awards | ||||
1962 | Outstanding Music Composition for a Series | Alcoa Premiere | Nominated | [56] |
1963 | Outstanding Achievement in Composing Original Music | Alcoa Premiere | Nominated | [57] |
1969 | Outstanding Achievement in Musical Composition | Heidi | Won | [58] |
1972 | Outstanding Music Composition for a Series | Jane Eyre | Won | [59] |
2002 | Outstanding Music Direction | The 74th Annual Academy Awards | Nominated | [60] |
2009 | Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music | Great Performances | Won | [61] |
Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1962 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Checkmate | Nominated | [86] |
1976 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Jaws | Won | [87] |
1977 | Best Instrumental Arrangement | "The Disaster Movie Suite" | Nominated | [88] |
1978 | Best Instrumental Composition | "Star Wars – Main Title" | Won | [89] |
Best Pop Instrumental Recording | Star Wars | Won | ||
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Won | |||
Album of the Year | Nominated | |||
1979 | Best Instrumental Composition | "Theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind" | Won | [90] |
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Won | ||
Best Pop Instrumental Performance | Nominated | |||
1980 | Best Instrumental Composition | " Superman Main Title Theme" | Won | [91] |
Best Pop Instrumental Performance | Nominated | |||
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Superman | Won | ||
1981 | Best Pop Instrumental Performance | "Yoda's Theme" | Nominated | [92] |
Best Instrumental Composition | Nominated | |||
"Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)" | Nominated | |||
The Empire Strikes Back | Won | |||
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Won | |||
1982 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Won | [93] | |
1983 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | Won | [94] | |
Best Pop Instrumental Performance | Nominated | |||
Best Instrumental Composition | "Adventure on Earth" | Nominated | ||
"Flying" (Theme from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ) | Won | |||
Best Arrangement on an Instrumental Recording | Won | |||
1984 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Return of the Jedi | Nominated | [95] |
1985 | Best Instrumental Composition | "Olympic Fanfare & Theme" | Won | [96] |
1986 | Best Recording for Children | Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf | Nominated | [97] |
1988 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | The Witches of Eastwick | Nominated | [98] |
1989 | Empire of the Sun | Nominated | [99] | |
Best Instrumental Composition | "Olympic Spirit" | Nominated | ||
1990 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | Nominated | [100] |
1991 | Best Arrangement on an Instrumental Recording | Born on the Fourth of July | Nominated | [101] |
1992 | Best Pop Instrumental Performance | John Williams Conducts John Williams: The Star Wars Trilogy | Nominated | [102] |
Best Song Written for Visual Media | "Somewhere in My Memory" (from Home Alone ) | Nominated | ||
1993 | Best Pop Instrumental Performance | Hook | Nominated | [103] |
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Nominated | |||
1994 | Jurassic Park | Nominated | [104] | |
1995 | Schindler's List | Won | [105] | |
1997 | Best Song Written for Visual Media | "Moonlight" (from Sabrina ) | Nominated | [106] |
1998 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | The Lost World: Jurassic Park | Nominated | [107] |
Seven Years in Tibet | Nominated | |||
1999 | Saving Private Ryan | Won | [108] | |
Amistad | Nominated | |||
Best Classical Crossover Album | Gershwin Fantasy | Nominated | ||
2000 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace | Nominated | [109] |
Best Instrumental Arrangement | "Stella by Starlight (from The Uninvited )" | Nominated | ||
2001 | Best Instrumental Composition | "Theme from Angela's Ashes " | Won | [110] |
2002 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | A.I. Artificial Intelligence | Nominated | [111] |
2003 | Best Instrumental Composition | "Hedwig's Theme" | Nominated | [112] |
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | Nominated | ||
2004 | Catch Me If You Can | Nominated | [113] | |
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Nominated | |||
2005 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Nominated | [114] | |
2006 | Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith | Nominated | [115] | |
Best Instrumental Composition | "Anakin's Betrayal" | Nominated | ||
"The Ferry Scene" | Nominated | |||
2007 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Memoirs of a Geisha | Won | [116] |
Munich | Nominated | |||
Best Instrumental Composition | "A Prayer for Peace" | Won | ||
"Sayuri's Theme and End Credits" | Nominated | |||
2009 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | Nominated | [117] |
Best Instrumental Composition | "The Adventures of Mutt" | Won | ||
2013 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn | Nominated | [118] |
2014 | Lincoln | Nominated | [119] | |
2015 | Best Instrumental Composition | "The Book Thief" | Won | [120] |
2017 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Won | [121] |
2018 | Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella | "Escapades for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra from Catch Me If You Can" | Won | [122] |
2019 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Nominated | [123] |
Best Instrumental Composition | "Mine Mission" | Nominated | ||
2020 | "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Symphonic Suite" | Won | [124] | |
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella | "Hedwig's Theme" | Nominated | ||
2021 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Nominated | [125] |
2023 | Best Orchestral Performance | "The Berlin Concert" (John Williams, conductor, Berliner Philharmoniker) | Nominated | [126] |
2024 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | The Fabelmans | Nominated | [127] |
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | Nominated | |||
Best Instrumental Composition | "Helena's Theme", Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | Won | ||
This section may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject , potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral.(January 2020) |
Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1978 | Best Music | Star Wars | Won |
Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Won | ||
1979 | Superman | Won | |
1981 | The Empire Strikes Back | Nominated | |
1982 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Won | |
1983 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | Won | |
1984 | Return of the Jedi | Nominated | |
1988 | The Witches of Eastwick | Nominated | |
1994 | Jurassic Park | Nominated | |
2002 | A.I. Artificial Intelligence | Won | |
2003 | Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones | Nominated | |
Minority Report | Nominated | ||
2005 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Nominated | |
2006 | War of the Worlds | Nominated | |
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | Won | ||
2012 | War Horse | Nominated | |
The Adventures of Tintin | Nominated | ||
2014 | The Book Thief | Nominated | |
2016 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Won | |
2017 | The BFG | Nominated | |
2018 | Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Nominated | |
2021 | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Won | |
2024 | Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | Won |
Year | Association | Award | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | Songwriters Hall of Fame | Inductee | [128] |
1999 | BMI Film and TV Awards | Richard Kirk Award | [129] |
2000 | Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame | Inductee | [130] |
2003 | International Olympic Committee | Olympic Order | [131] |
2004 | American Classical Music Hall of Fame | Inductee | [132] |
2004 | Kennedy Center Honor | Medal | |
2005 | Classic Brit Award | Award | |
2009 | National Medal of Arts | Award | [133] |
2012 | Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music | Composer of the Year | |
2013 | Ken Burns Lifetime Achievement Award | Career award | [134] |
2016 | AFI Life Achievement Award | Honorary Award | [135] |
2020 | Royal Philharmonic Society | The Gold Medal | [136] |
2020 | Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts | Award | [137] |
2022 | Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) | Honorary Knighthood | |
Year | University | Honor | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Boston University | Kappa Kappa Psi | [138] |
1993 | Boston College | Honorary Doctor of Music | [139] |
2017 | Harvard University | Honorary Doctorate | [140] |
2019 | Berklee College of Music | Honorary Doctorate of Music | [141] |
2021 | University of Pennsylvania | Honorary Doctorate | [142] |
Higher Ground Productions, also known simply as Higher Ground, is an American production company which was founded in 2018 by former United States President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.