This is a list of Bette Davis accolades for both her cinematic and television performances. Her career spans over six decades, from the beginning of the 1930s until the end of the 1980s, shortly before her death.
Her first acting "award" was being cited, alongside Joan Blondell and Ginger Rogers, as one of the "Stars of Tomorrow" in 1932. But it was two years later, when she had her breakthrough performance as Mildred Rogers in Of Human Bondage (1934), when she received her first major awards notice, or lack thereof. When the Academy Award nominations were announced and Davis's name was omitted, there was an uproar. The Academy was inundated with write-in votes demanding that she be nominated. Due to that popular demand, they permitted Davis's name to remain a write-in candidate, even though she was not an official nominee. She finished third in the votes. (They allowed this relaxed rule for the following year as well, wherein Paul Muni was a write-in nominee for Black Fury (1935). Despite being unofficial, he finished second in the votes. The academy discontinued this option as of 1936.)
When Muni receive his write-in, Davis received her first Oscar for Best Actress, for the film Dangerous (1935). Three years later, she would win again for Jezebel (1938). Beginning with this film, she next set a record for the most consecutive nominations, receiving five in a row from 1938 through 1942. These succeeding four films were Dark Victory (1939), The Letter (1940), The Little Foxes (1941), and Now, Voyager (1942). Her longstanding record would shortly be tied by Greer Garson, whose span went from 1941 to 1945 (with a win for 1942's Mrs. Miniver). She and Davis had two overlapping years, plus a third year where they were simultaneously nominated when Davis received her next nomination for Mr. Skeffington (1944).
Aside from Academy Awards, Davis also acquired a Volpi Cup for Best Actress in 1937 for both Marked Woman and Kid Galahad—the only recipient in their history to receive the prize for two performances. In addition to that, she received two Best Actress wins from the National Board of Review: one shared prize for both The Old Maid (1939) & Dark Victory; and another two years later, for The Little Foxes.
At this time, Davis had more acting Oscar nominations than anyone else. This streak continued with All About Eve (1950). She also received several other nominations and wins for this performance, including: Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress, and her first Golden Globe nomination. Her next Oscar nomination was for The Star (1952).
One decade later, Davis continued receiving recognition for a variety of roles. She earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical nomination for Pocketful of Miracles (1961), with adjacent nominations the following year for What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) from a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, to a BAFTA for Best Foreign Actress, and finally, an Academy Award for Best Actress—her 10th official of the latter (or 11th, counting the write-in nomination). She thus became the first actress to reach double digits in her nominations tally.
Davis continued receiving several other awards and nominations, including 3rd Place from the Laurel Awards for ...Baby Jane? followed by a win for her performance in Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964).
In her later years, she set her sights more often on television. She received four Primetime Emmy nominations, for an episode of ABC's Wide World of Entertainment retroactive special; plus Little Gloria...Happy at Last (1983); White Mama (1980); and Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter (1979), for which she won an Emmy opposite Gena Rowlands.
She was also bestowed an honorary Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes ceremony in 1974; an AFI Life Achievement Award in 1977; and a Kennedy Center Honors in 1987. These are just a few of the vast assortment of honorary awards she has received in addition to the aforementioned major accolades above.
Major awards The years listed in the columns are the corresponding years that the ceremonies occurred in which the awards were presented to the recipients. These are seldom the same years of the films' release dates.
Academy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Academy Awards1935 Best Actress Of Human Bondage (Write-in) 1936 Dangerous 1939 Jezebel 1940 Dark Victory 1941 The Letter 1942 The Little Foxes 1943 Now, Voyager 1945 Mr. Skeffington 1951 All About Eve 1953 The Star 1963 What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
BAFTA Awards Year Category Nominated work Result British Academy Film Awards 1964 Best Foreign Actress What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Golden Globe Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Golden Globe Awards1951 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama All About Eve 1962 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Pocketful of Miracles 1963 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 1974 Cecil B. DeMille Award
Emmy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Primetime Emmy Awards 1974 Special Classification of Outstanding Program and Individual Achievement ABC's Wide World of Entertainment: Warner Bros. Movies — A 50-Year Salute 1979 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter 1980 White Mama 1983 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Special Little Gloria...Happy at Last
Industry awards Year Awards ceremony Category Nominated work Character Result 1937 Venice Film Festival Volpi Cup for Best Actress Kid Galahad Louise "Fluff" Phillips rowspan="2" Marked Woman Mary Strauber 1939 New York Film Critics Circle Best Actress Dark Victory Judith Traherne 1939 National Board of Review Best Acting rowspan="2" both The Old Maid Charlotte Lovell both 1941 The Little Foxes Regina Giddens 1950 New York Film Critics Circle Best Actress All About Eve Margo Channing 1951 Cannes Film Festival Best Actress 1952 Nastro d'Argento Silver Ribbon for Best Foreign Actress 1963 Laurel Awards Top Female Dramatic Performance What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Baby Jane Hudson 1965 Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte Charlotte Hollis 1977 Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actress Burnt Offerings Aunt Elizabeth Rolf 1983 Monte-Carlo Television Festival Golden Nymph - Actress A Piano for Mrs. Cimino Mrs. Esther Cimino 1984 CableACE Awards Actress in a Dramatic or Theatrical Program Right of Way Mini Dwyer 1987 As Summers Die Hannah Loftin
Other accolades
Honorary Year Award Category 1950 Grauman's Chinese Theatre Handprint and Footprint Ceremony 1960 Hollywood Walk of Fame Motion pictures (Location: 6225 Hollywood Blvd.) Television (Location: 6233 Hollywood Blvd.) 1969 San Francisco International Film Festival The Craft of Cinema Award 1973 Sarah Siddons Awards Special 20th Anniversary Award for All About Eve 1977 American Film Institute AFI Life Achievement Award 1982 Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence Rudolph Valentino Award Actress of the Year National Film Society Artistry in Cinema Awards Golden Reel Award for her contribution to cinema. American Theater Arts Life Achievement Award 1983 Charles Chaplin Award Awarded by UCLA Film and Television Archive Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards Crystal Award Boston Theater District Life Achievement Award Golden Apple Awards Louella Parsons Life Achievement Award 1986 César Awards Honorary César 1986 Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Appointed commander of this order. It was awarded by the French Government for her contribution to film. 1987 British Film Institute Fellowship In recognition of her outstanding contribution to film culture. Legion of Honour Awarded at the Deauville American Film Festival for her contribution to film. Kennedy Center Honors Honoree 1988 Campione d'Italia Merit of Achievement Award 1989 American Cinema Awards Life Achievement Award Film Society of Lincoln Center Gala Tribute San Sebastián International Film Festival Donostia Award
Miscellaneous Year Award Category Notes 1932 N/A Stars of Tomorrow A group of theater exhibitors named Joan Blondell, Bette Davis, and Ginger Rogers "Stars of Tomorrow". The ceremony was held at the Ambassador Hotel in Hollywood, and broadcast live on radio. This was Bette's first acting award. 1939 Photoplay Awards Best Performances (July) Tied with Paul Muni 1941 Golden Apple Awards Most Cooperative Actress 1945 Photoplay Awards Favorite Female Star Gold Medal Nominee 1946 Meritorious Civilian Service Award United States Department of War presented this accolade to Davis on behalf of her efforts in coordinating the foundation of the Hollywood Canteen. The first thespian to receive such an award. 1950 Photoplay Awards Best Performances (December) Tied with Anne Baxter 1951 Most Popular Female Star Nominee for All About Eve 1963 Nominee for What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Golden Apple Awards Most Cooperative Actress 1965 Laurel Awards Golden Laurel - Female Star 11th Place 1966 Photoplay Awards Most Popular Female Star Gold Medal Nominee 1972 Favorite Female Star 1975 1976 1978 Hall of Fame: Actress 1980 Outstanding Mother of the Year Award Awarded by Woman's Day magazine 1983 Distinguished Civilian Service Medal Awarded by the Defense Department of USA (the highest civilian award given by the United States Department of Defense) for founding the Hollywood Canteen (which operated at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood, California, between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945). The award ceremony took place on June 11, 1983.
See also List of Bette Davis performances Academy Award for Best Actress List of Academy Award Records List of actors with three or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories List of actors with two or more Academy Awards in acting categories
Notes
References
External links
Bette Davis accepting Oscar for Jezebel (1938) · YouTube Bette Davis receives AFI Life Achievement Award · YouTube Oscars' official awards database search page Bette Davis's Cannes Film Festival profile Venice Film Festival history