Kathy Bates is an American actress and director. She has been the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Actor Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.
Bates debuted in 1970s, playing minor roles in the film, television and theater. She gained acclaim for the theater roles in 1980s, receiving nominations for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for 'night, Mother (1983), as well as the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play and the Obie Award for Distinguished Performance for Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (1987). Her breakrough came with the film Misery (1990), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress. For Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. She received critical acclaim for Primary Colors (1998), winning the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress, receiving her first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, along with nominations for the BAFTA Award and the Golden Globe Award. For About Schmidt (2002), she won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress, along with her third nomination for the Academy Award, as well as for the SAG Award and the Golden Globe Award. For Richard Jewell (2019), she won her second National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress, along with her fourth nomination for the Academy Award, as well as for the Golden Globe Award.
She also gained acclaim for her television work. For the television film The Late Shift (1996), she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award. For the television film Annie (1999), she received nominations for the Primetime Emmy, the Golden Globe and the SAG Award. In 2004, she was nominated for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for directing one episode of the television series Six Feet Under. In 2011–2012, she starred in the television series Harry's Law, for which she received two Primetime Emmy nominations and one for the SAG Award. In 2013–2018, she played in multiple seasons of the anthology series American Horror Story, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie, along with two additional nominations for the Primetime Emmy and one for the Golden Globe Award. From 2024, she stars in the television series Matlock, for which she won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series, as well as received nominations for the Primetime Emmy, the SAG Award and two Golden Globe Awards.
She has received multiple numerous honorary accolades including the François Truffaut Award at the Giffoni Film Festival (2006), the Mary Pickford Award (2007), the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2016) and the TCA Career Achievement Award (2005).
+Key Indicates non-competitive categories
Major associations Academy Awards Year Category Work Result 1991 Best Actress Misery 1999 Best Supporting Actress Primary Colors 2003 About Schmidt 2020 Richard Jewell
Actor Awards Year Category Work Result 1997 Outstanding Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie 1998 Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture Titanic 1999 Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role Primary Colors 2000 Outstanding Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Annie 2003 Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role About Schmidt Outstanding Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie My Sister's Keeper 2012 Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture Midnight in Paris Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series Harry's Law 2025 Matlock Outstanding Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
BAFTA Awards Year Category Work Result British Academy Film Awards 1993 Best Actress in a Supporting Role Fried Green Tomatoes 1999 Primary Colors
Directors Guild of America Awards Year Category Work Result 2004 Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series Six Feet Under (episode: "Twilight")
Emmy Awards Year Category Work Result Primetime Emmy Awards 1996 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special 1999 Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie Dash and Lilly Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series 3rd Rock from the Sun 2000 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Annie 2003 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Six Feet Under 2005 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Warm Springs 2006 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Ambulance Girl 2010 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Alice 2011 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Harry's Law 2012 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Two and a Half Men 2014 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie American Horror Story: Coven 2015 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie American Horror Story: Freak Show 2016 American Horror Story: Hotel 2025 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Matlock
Golden Globe Awards Year Category Work Result 1991 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Misery 1992 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Fried Green Tomatoes 1997 Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film 1999 Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Primary Colors 2000 Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Annie 2003 Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture About Schmidt 2015 Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film American Horror Story: Freak Show 2020 Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Richard Jewell 2025 Best Actress – Television Series Drama Matlock 2026
Tony Awards Year Category Work Result 1983 Best Actress in a Play 'night, Mother
Miscellaneous awards
+ Award Year Category Work Result AARP Movies for Grownups Awards 2026 Best Actress (TV) Matlock African-American Film Critics Association 2025 Best Actress Matlock American Comedy Awards 1997 Funniest Female Performer – Television Special 1999 Funniest Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Primary Colors 2000 Funniest Female Performer – Television Special Annie Astra Midseason Movie Awards 2023 Best Supporting Actress Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Astra TV Awards 2025 Best Actress in a Drama Series Matlock Blockbuster Entertainment Awards 1998 Favorite Supporting Actress – Drama Titanic 1999 Primary Colors Favorite Supporting Actress – Comedy CableACE Awards 1994 Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries Hostages Central Ohio Film Critics Association 2002 Best Supporting Actress About Schmidt Chicago Film Critics Association 1991 Best Actress Misery Most Promising Actress 1996 Best Actress Dolores Claiborne 1999 Best Supporting Actress Primary Colors 2003 About Schmidt Chlotrudis Awards 1996 Best Actress Dolores Claiborne 1999 Best Supporting Actress Primary Colors Critics' Choice Movie Awards 1999 Best Supporting Actress Primary Colors 2003 About Schmidt Critics' Choice Television Awards 2014 Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries American Horror Story: Coven 2016 Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries American Horror Story: Hotel 2025 Best Actress in a Drama Series Matlock 2026 Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association 2003 Best Supporting Actress About Schmidt Detroit Film Critics Society 2019 Best Supporting Actress Richard Jewell Drama Desk Awards 1988 Outstanding Actress in a Play Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune Georgia Film Critics Association 2019 Best Supporting Actress Richard Jewell Giffoni Film Festival 2006 François Truffaut Award Golden Raspberry Awards 1995 Worst Supporting Actress North Gotham TV Awards 2025 Outstanding Lead Performance in a Drama Series Matlock Breakthrough Drama Series Gracie Awards 2025 Actress in a Leading Role – Drama Matlock Hollywood Walk of Fame 2016 Hollywood Walk of Fame Houston Film Critics Society 2019 Best Supporting Actress Richard Jewell ICG Publicists Awards 2025 Television Showperson of the Year Las Vegas Film Critics Society 1998 Best Supporting Actress Primary Colors 2002 About Schmidt Los Angeles Film Critics Association 1998 Best Supporting Actress Primary Colors 2002 About Schmidt National Board of Review 2002 Best Supporting Actress About Schmidt 2019 Richard Jewell National Society of Film Critics 2002 Best Supporting Actress About Schmidt New York Film Critics Circle 1990 Best Actress Misery Obie Awards 1988 Distinguished Performance Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune Online Film Critics Society 1999 Best Supporting Actress Primary Colors 2003 About Schmidt Palm Springs International Film Festival 2009 Ensemble Performance Award Revolutionary Road Phoenix Film Critics Society 2003 Best Supporting Actress About Schmidt San Diego Film Critics Society 1998 Best Supporting Actress Primary Colors 2002 About Schmidt Satellite Awards 1997 Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film 1999 Best Supporting Actress – Musical or Comedy Primary Colors 2000 Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Annie 2003 Best Supporting Actress – Drama About Schmidt Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film My Sister's Keeper 2007 Mary Pickford Award 2014 Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film American Horror Story: Coven 2025 Best Actress – Television Series Drama Matlock 2026 Saturn Awards 1992 Best Actress Misery 1996 Dolores Claiborne 2014 Best Supporting Actress on Television American Horror Story: Coven 2017 Best Supporting Actress on Television American Horror Story: Roanoke Southeastern Film Critics Association 1998 Best Supporting Actress Primary Colors TCA Awards 2025 Individual Achievement in Drama Matlock TCA Career Achievement Award Toronto Film Critics Association 2002 Best Supporting Actress About Schmidt Vancouver Film Critics Circle 2003 Best Supporting Actress About Schmidt Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association 2002 Best Supporting Actress About Schmidt Women Film Critics Circle 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award Women in Film and Television International 1995 Woman of Vision Award Women's Image Network Awards 2019 Supporting Actress Feature Film On the Basis of Sex 2025 Actress Drama Series Matlock
See also Kathy Bates filmography Triple Crown of Acting List of actors with more than one Academy Award nomination in the acting categories List of actors with Academy Award nominations
Notes
References
External links Awards and nominations for Kathy Bates on the Internet Movie Database Awards and nominations for Kathy Bates on the Internet Broadway Database