The following is a list of awards and nominations received by American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality Paula Abdul.
Abdul began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreographer for the Laker Girls, where she was discovered by the Jacksons. After choreographing music videos for Janet Jackson, Abdul became a choreographer at the height of the music video era and soon thereafter she was signed to Virgin Records. Abdul's debut studio album, Forever Your Girl (1988), became one of the most successful debut albums at that time, selling seven million copies in the United States and setting a record for the most U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles from a debut album: "Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl", "Cold Hearted", and "Opposites Attract". Her second album, Spellbound (1991), scored the number-one singles "Rush Rush" and "The Promise of a New Day". She received 17 MTV Video Music Award nominations, winning five, as well as receiving the Grammy Award for Best Music Video for "Opposites Attract" in 1991. She received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography twice for her work on The Tracey Ullman Show, and her own performance at the American Music Awards in 1990. Abdul was honored with her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and is the first entertainer to be honored with the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards' Hall of Fame Award.
Awards and nominations Award Year Category Nominated workResult America's Dance Honors 1990 Choreographer of the Year Herself American Music Awards1990 Favorite Pop/Rock Female ArtistHerself Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist Favorite Dance Artist Favorite Pop/Rock Album Forever Your Girl 1991 Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist Herself 1992 Favorite Pop/Rock Female ArtistHerself Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist Favorite Adult Contemporary Album Spellbound Billboard Music Awards 1990 No. 1 World Album Forever Your Girl Billboard Music Video Awards1989 Best Female Video"Straight Up" Best New Artists Video Best Editing Best Choreography "Cold Hearted" 1990 Best Female Video"Opposites Attract" Best Director Brit Awards 1990 International Breakthrough Act Herself Choreographers Carnival 2013 Lifetime Achievement Herself Ellis Island Medal of Honor 2019 Herself Fox Reality Awards 2007 Favorite Tears Hey Paula GLAAD Gala San Francisco 2019 Ariadne Getty Ally Herself Grammy Awards 1990 Best Female Pop Vocal Performance "Straight Up" 1991 Best Short Form Music Video "Opposites Attract" Hollywood Christmas Parade 2023 Humanitarian of the Year Herself Hollywood Walk of Fame 1991 Herself Impact Awards 2022 Herself Industry Dance Awards 2014 Icon Herself 2024 Paula Abdul Legacy Award Herself Juno Awards1990 International Album of the Year Forever Your Girl International Single of the Year "Straight Up" Los Angeles Music Awards 1992 Pop Album of the Year Spellbound MTV Video Music Awards1987Best Choreography in a Video "Nasty" (by Janet Jackson) "When I Think of You" (by Janet Jackson) 1989 Best Female Video"Straight Up" Best New Artist in a Video Best Dance Video Breakthrough Video Best Choreography in a Video Best Editing in a Video 1990 Best Female Video"Opposites Attract" Best Dance Video Breakthrough Video Best Direction in a Video Best Choreography in a Video Best Special Effects in a Video 1991 Best Female Video "Rush Rush" 1995 Best Dance Video"My Love Is for Real" Best Choreography in a Video Music Business Association 2017 Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Herself National Eating Disorders Association 2005 Profiles in Living Herself Nevada Ballet Theatre 2007 Woman of the Year Herself Nevada Equality Awards 2019 Ally Leadership Herself NewNowNext Awards 2010 Always Next, Forever Now Icon Herself Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 1990 Favorite Female Musician/Group Herself 1991 Hall of Fame Herself People's Choice Awards 1990Favorite Female Musical PerformerHerself 1991 Primetime Emmy Awards 1988Outstanding ChoreographyThe Tracey Ullman Show 1989 1990 The 17th Annual American Music Awards 2003Outstanding Reality-Competition ProgramAmerican Idol 2004 2005 2006 2007 Queerties Awards 2024 Straight Up Ally Herself Revel Dance Convention 2021 Revelation Icon Herself San Diego Automotive Museum 2025 Titan Philanthropy Herself Shorty Awards 2020 Best Celebrity Herself Soul Train Music Awards 1990 Best Song of the Year "Straight Up" Teen Choice Awards 2003 Choice TV: Reality Babe Herself 2004 Choice Reality/Variety TV Star - Female Herself 2005 Choice TV Personality - Female Herself World Choreography Awards 2025 Legacy Herself YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund AMY Awards 2006 Leadership Herself
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