Dench has received many award nominations for her acting in theatre, film and television; her competitive awards include ten BAFTAs, six Olivier Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award.
Med leti 1981 in 1984 je s serijo "A Fine Romance" zaslovela tudi na televiziji, leta 1992 pa je pričela igrati tudi v romantično-komični seriji "As Time Goes By".