American singer, songwriter, actress, author, and comedian Bette Midler has received many awards and nominations for her work on screen, on stage, and in the studio.
During her musical career, Midler has received fifteen Grammy Award nominations. In her first year she won Best New Artist. In 1981, she won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "The Rose", and in 1990, the song "Wind Beneath My Wings" was recognized as Record of the Year.
For her work in film, Midler was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her performances in the drama The Rose (1979) and the musical comedy-drama For the Boys (1991), both of which won her a Golden Globe Award in the same category. Moving to television, Midler received Emmy nominations for her roles in Bette Midler: Ol' Red Hair is Back (1978), The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1992), television film Gypsy (1993), Bette Midler in Concert: Diva Las Vegas (1998), comedy series Murphy Brown (1998), Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On (2011), and The Politician (2020), of which she won three.
Midler has also achieved success on stage, winning a 1974 Special Tony Award and a 2017 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in a Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! In addition, Midler has held several concert tours, with Diva Las Vegas winning her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program in 1998.
In 1985, Midler was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2021, she received the Kennedy Center Honors Medal.
Major awards
Academy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1979 Best Actress The Rose 1991 For the Boys
BAFTA Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1981 Best Actress in a Leading Role The Rose
Drama Desk Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2011 Outstanding Musical (for producing) Priscilla Queen of the Desert 2013 Outstanding Solo Performance I'll Eat You Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers 2017 Outstanding Actress in a Musical Hello, Dolly!
Golden Globe Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1980 New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture – Female The Rose Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Comedy or Musical 1981 Divine Madness 1987 Down and Out in Beverly Hills 1988 Outrageous Fortune 1992 For the Boys 1994 Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television Gypsy 2001 Best Actress in a Television Series — Comedy or Musical Bette
Grammy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1974 Best New Artist Album of the Year The Divine Miss M Best Female Pop Vocal Performance "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" 1981 Record of the Year "The Rose" Best Female Pop Vocal Performance 1987 Best Comedy Recording Mud Will Be Flung Tonight 1990 Best Recording for Children Oliver and Company OST Record of the Year "Wind Beneath My Wings" Best Female Pop Vocal Performance 1991 Record of the Year "From a Distance" Best Female Pop Vocal Performance 2004 Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook 2007 Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbok 2008 Cool Yule 2018 Best Musical Theatre Album Hello, Dolly!
Primetime Emmy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1978 Outstanding Special – Comedy-Variety or Music Bette Midler: Ol' Red Hair is Back Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special 1992 Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 1994 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special Gypsy 1997 Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special Bette Midler in Concert: Diva Las Vegas Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program 1998 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Murphy Brown 2011 Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On 2020 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series The Politician
Satellite Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1997 Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Comedy or Musical The First Wives Club
Tony Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1974 Special Award 2017 Best Actress in a Musical Hello, Dolly!
Other awards Award Year Category Nominated work Result AARP Movies for Grownups Awards 2009 Best Supporting Actress Then She Found Me American Cinematheque Gala Tribute 1987 American Cinematheque Award American Comedy Awards Funniest Female Performer of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award in Comedy Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture Ruthless People 1988 Outrageous Fortune 1989 Big Business 1990 Beaches 1993 Funniest Female Performer in a Television Special The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 1996 Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Get Shorty 1997 Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture The First Wives Club 1998 Funniest Female Performer in a Television Special Bette Middler in Concert: Diva Las Vegas Billboard Number One Awards 1973 Top Singles Artists Top Album Artists Top Singles Female Vocalists Top Singles New Artists Top Singles Easy Listening Artists Top Pop Singles "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" "Do You Want to Dance?" Top Easy Listening Singles "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" Top Album Female Artists Top New Album Artists Honor Roll of New Hot 100 Artists Honor Roll of New Album Artists 1974 Top Pop Singles – Female Vocalists Top Pop Albums Bette Midler Top Pop Singles – Female Artists 1977 Easy Listening Singles Artists Easy Listening Singles "You're Moving Out Today" 1978 Pop Female Artists Pop Female Singles Artists Pop Female Albums Artists Box Office – Auditoriums 1979 Top Overall Female Artists 1980 Pop Female Artists Pop Singles "The Rose" Pop Single Artists Pop Female Single Artists Adult Contemporary Singles "The Rose" Adult Contemporary Artists 1981 Pop Female Artists Pop Female Single Artists 1989 Top Pop Singles Artists Top Pop Singles Artists – Female Top Adult Contemporary Artists Top Adult Contemporary Singles "Wind Beneath My Wings" 1990 Top Pop Singles Artists – Female 1991 Top Album Artists Top Pop Singles "From a Distance" Top Pop Singles Artists Top Pop Album Artists – Female Top Pop Singles Artists – Female Top Adult Contemporary Singles "From a Distance" Top Adult Contemporary Artists 1992 Top Billboard 200 Album Artists Top Billboard 200 Album Artists – Female 1993 Top Billboard 200 Album Artists – Female 1996 Hot Dance Music Club Play Singles "To Deserve You" 1999 Hot Dance Club-Play Artists Hot Dance Club-Play Singles "I'm Beautiful" Hot Dance Maxi-Singles Sales British LGBT Awards 2016 Global Icon CableACE Awards 1985 Performance in a Musical Special Bette Midler: Art or Bust 1989 Entertainment Host The Mondo Beyondo Show Cash Box Awards 1973 New Female – Singles New Female – Albums 1974 Female – Singles Female – Albums 1979 Special Decade Awards – Female 1980 Top Female Vocalist – Singles 1989 Top A/C Female – Singles Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 1992 Best Actress For the Boys Costume Designers Guild Awards 2023 Distinguished Collaborator Award Disney Legend 2019 Honored as a Disney Legend by The Walt Disney Company Golden Apple Awards 1996 Female Star of the Year The First Wives Club Gold Derby Awards 2020 Comedy Guest Actress The Politician Golden Raspberry Awards 1991 Worst Actress Stella 2001 Isn't She Great Hasty Pudding Theatricals 1976 Woman of the Year Hollywood Walk of Fame 1985 Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame Kennedy Center Honors 2021 Kennedy Center Honors Medal Kid's Choice Awards 1989 Favorite Movie Actress Beaches MTV Video Music Awards 1984 Best Stage Performance in a Video Bette Midler: Beast of Burden Best Female Video National Board of Review Awards 1996 Best Acting by an Ensemble The First Wives Club National Society of Film Critics Awards 1980 Best ActressThe Rose New York Film Critics Circle Awards 1979 Best Actress Online Film & Television Association 1997 Best Adapted Song for "You Don't Own Me" The First Wives Club 2001 Best Actress in a New Comedy Series Bette 2020 Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series The Politician People's Choice Awards 1980 Favorite Motion Picture Actor The Rose 1981 Favorite Motion Picture Actress Divine Madness! 1987 Favorite All-Around Female Entertainer 1988 1989 Favorite Comedy Motion Picture Actress Beaches 2001 Favorite Female Performer in a New TV Series Bette Photoplay Awards 1975 Variety Star 1977 Favorite Female Sex Symbol 1978 Favorite Pop Music Star 1979 Favorite Variety Star Record World Awards 1973 Top Female Vocalists – Singles Top Female Vocalists – Albums 1980 Top New Female Vocalists – Singles Top New Female Vocalists – Albums Most Promising Female Vocalist Top Female Vocalists – A/C Saturn Awards 1994 Best Actress Hocus Pocus ShoWest Convention 1988 Female Star of the Year The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards 1997 Worst Actress That Old Feeling Worst On-Screen Couple 2000 Worst Actress Isn't She Great TV Guide Awards 2001 Actress of the Year in a New Series Bette Actress of the Year in a Comedy Series Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards 1985 Jack Oakie Comedy Award 1997Crystal Award
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