Ridley Scott is an English filmmaker.
His major works include the science fiction horror film Alien (1979), the neo-noir dystopian film Blade Runner (1982), the road adventure film Thelma & Louise (1991), the historical drama film Gladiator (2000), the war film Black Hawk Down (2002), and the science fiction comedy The Martian (2015). Some of his later works include Kingdom of Heaven (2005), American Gangster (2007), Robin Hood (2010), Prometheus (2012), and All the Money in the World (2017). In 2021 his films, The Last Duel and House of Gucci were released.
Scott has received various awards and nominations including four Academy Award nominations, including three nominations for Best Director for Thelma & Louise (1991), Gladiator (2000), and Black Hawk Down (2002). He also received a nomination for Best Picture for The Martian (2015). Scott has also received nine Golden Globe Award nominations, winning for producing RKO 281 in 2000 and The Gathering Storm in 2003. He also received 10 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work on television, winning twice for The Gathering Storm (2002), and Gettysburg (2011).
In 1995 both Scott and his brother Tony received a BAFTA for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. In 2003 he was knighted for services to the British film industry. In a 2004 BBC poll, Scott was ranked 10 on the list of most influential people in British culture. He received an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art in London in 2015, the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement in 2018, and the Academy Honorary Award in 2026.
Major associations Academy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Ref. 1992 Best Director Thelma & Louise 2001 Gladiator 2002 Black Hawk Down 2016 Best Picture The Martian 2026 Academy Honorary Award
British Academy Film Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.1992 Best FilmThelma & Louise Best Director 1995 Michael Balcon Award 2001 Best Director Gladiator 2008 Best Film American Gangster 2016 Best Director The Martian 2018BAFTA Fellowship 2022Outstanding British Film House of Gucci 2024Napoleon2025Gladiator II
Primetime Emmy Award Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.2000Outstanding Made for Television MovieRKO 2812002The Gathering Storm2008 Outstanding Miniseries The Andromeda Strain 2009 Outstanding Made for Television Movie Into the Storm 2010Outstanding Drama SeriesThe Good Wife 2011 Outstanding Miniseries or Movie The Pillars of the Earth Outstanding Nonfiction SpecialGettysburg2014Outstanding Television Movie Killing Kennedy 2015 Killing Jesus
Golden Globe Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.2000Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television FilmRKO 2812001 Best Director Gladiator 2003Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television FilmThe Gathering Storm 2008The Company Best Director American Gangster 2010Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television FilmInto the Storm 2011The Pillars of the Earth 2016Best DirectorThe Martian 2018 All the Money in the World
Grammy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.2009Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual MediaAmerican Gangster
Industry awards American Film Institute Year Category Nominated work Result2002 Director of the YearBlack Hawk Down Movie of the Year
Cannes Film Festival Year Category Nominated work Result1977 Best Debut Film AwardThe Duellists Palme d'Or
Directors Guild of America Year Category Nominated work Result1992Best Director – Motion Picture Thelma & Louise 2001 Gladiator 2002 Black Hawk Down 2016 The Martian 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award
National Board of Review Year Category Nominated work Result 2015 Best Director The Martian
Miscellaneous awards Saturn Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1980 Best Director Alien 1983 Blade Runner 2001 Gladiator 2004The George Pal Memorial Award2016 Best Director The Martian
Satellite Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2001Best Director Gladiator 2016 The Martian
Visual Effects Society Year Category Nominated work Result 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award
References