# List of accolades received by The Sessions

The Sessions is a 2012 American independent drama film written and directed by Ben Lewin. It is based on an essay written by Mark O'Brien, a poet paralyzed by polio, who hired a sex surrogate to lose his virginity. John Hawkes and Helen Hunt star as O'Brien and sex surrogate Cheryl Cohen-Greene, respectively. The film premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival under its original title The Surrogate and was immediately acquired by Fox Searchlight Pictures. The Sessions was released on October 19, 2012 in the United States. As of March 20, 2013, the film has earned over $9 million at the box office.
The film gathered various awards and nominations following its release, ranging from recognition of the film itself to Lewin's screenplay and the cast's acting performances, particularly those of Hawkes and Hunt. The AACTA Awards saw Lewin and Hawkes receive nominations for Best Direction and Best Actor. Hunt earned nominations for Best Supporting Actress at the 85th Academy Awards and the 66th British Academy Film Awards. The Alliance of Women Film Journalists awarded Hawkes and Hunt the Best Depiction of Nudity, Sexuality, or Seduction accolade.
Hawkes and Hunt garnered one nomination each from the 70th Golden Globe Awards. The film's international poster received a nomination from the Golden Trailer Awards, while Hawkes was named Breakthrough Actor at the Hollywood Film Festival. The Indiana Film Journalists Association nominated The Sessions for Best Picture and Hunt for Best Supporting Actress. At the 28th Independent Spirit Awards, Hawkes won Best Male Lead and Hunt won Best Supporting Female. They also went on to win Best Actor and Actress at the Nevada Film Critics Awards. Lewin collected the Audience Favorite Active Cinema Feature Award for the film at the Mill Valley Film Festival and the Audience Award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.
The Sessions garnered six nominations from the Satellite Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director and Best Editing for Lisa Bromwell. Hawkes, Hunt and William H. Macy gathered nominations in the acting categories from the St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association. At the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, The Sessions competed for the Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Film. The film went on to win the Audience Award for Dramatic Film and the Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting. Hawkes and Hunt earned nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress from both the Vancouver Film Critics Circle and the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. Hawkes received a total of twenty-four nominations for his portrayal of O'Brien, while Hunt received twenty-six for her role as Cohen Greene.

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
| AACTA Awards | January 26, 2013 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| AACTA Awards | January 26, 2013 | Best Direction | Ben Lewin | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | February 24, 2013 | Best Supporting Actress | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 7, 2013 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 7, 2013 | Best Depiction of Nudity, Sexuality, or Seduction | Helen Hunt and John Hawkes | Won |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 7, 2013 | Female Icon | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| British Academy Film Awards | February 10, 2013 | Best Supporting Actress | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Broadcast Film Critics Association | January 10, 2013 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| Broadcast Film Critics Association | January 10, 2013 | Best Supporting Actress | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Casting Society of America | November 18, 2013 | Best Casting in a Low Budget Comedy or Drama | The Sessions – Ronnie Yeskel | Won |
| Central Ohio Film Critics Association | January 3, 2013 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| Central Ohio Film Critics Association | January 3, 2013 | Best Supporting Actress | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | December 17, 2012 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | December 17, 2012 | Best Supporting Actress | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association | December 18, 2012 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association | December 18, 2012 | Best Supporting Actress | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Detroit Film Critics Society | December 14, 2012 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| Detroit Film Critics Society | December 14, 2012 | Best Supporting Actress | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Award | January 13, 2013 | Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Award | January 13, 2013 | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Golden Trailer Awards | May 3, 2013 | Best International Poster | The Sessions – Fox Searchlight and Allcity | Nominated |
| Hollywood Film Festival | October 22, 2012 | Breakthrough Actor | John Hawkes | Won |
| Houston Film Critics Society | January 5, 2013 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| Houston Film Critics Society | January 5, 2013 | Best Supporting Actress | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | December 17, 2012 | Best Picture | The Sessions | Nominated |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | December 17, 2012 | Best Supporting Actress | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Independent Spirit Awards | February 23, 2013 | Best Male Lead | John Hawkes | Won |
| Independent Spirit Awards | February 23, 2013 | Best Supporting Female | Helen Hunt | Won |
| International Film Music Critics Association | February 21, 2013 | Best Original Score for a Comedy Film | Marco Beltrami | Nominated |
| London Film Critics' Circle | January 20, 2013 | Actress of the Year | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Mill Valley Film Festival | October 14, 2012 | Audience Favorite Active Cinema Feature | Ben Lewin | Won |
| Nevada Film Critics | December 24, 2012 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Won |
| Nevada Film Critics | December 24, 2012 | Best Actress | Helen Hunt | Won |
| Online Film Critics Society | January 7, 2013 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| Online Film Critics Society | January 7, 2013 | Best Supporting Actress | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | January 5, 2013 | Spotlight Award | Helen Hunt | Won |
| Philadelphia Film Festival | October 28, 2012 | Honorable Mention for Spotlights | The Sessions | Won |
| Phoenix Film Critics Society | December 14, 2012 | Best Actor in a Leading Role | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| Phoenix Film Critics Society | December 14, 2012 | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 11, 2012 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 11, 2012 | Best Actress | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| San Francisco Film Critics Circle | December 16, 2012 | Best Supporting Actress | Helen Hunt | Won |
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | September 29, 2012 | Audience Award | Ben Lewin | Won |
| Satellite Awards | December 16, 2012 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | December 16, 2012 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Ben Lewin | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | December 16, 2012 | Best Director | Ben Lewin | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | December 16, 2012 | Best Editing | Lisa Bromwell | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | December 16, 2012 | Best Film | The Sessions | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | December 16, 2012 | Best Supporting Actress | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | January 27, 2013 | Best Actor in a Leading Role | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | January 27, 2013 | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association | December 11, 2012 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association | December 11, 2012 | Best Supporting Actor | William H. Macy | Nominated |
| St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association | December 11, 2012 | Best Supporting Actress | Helen Hunt | Won |
| Sundance Film Festival | January 28, 2012 | Audience Award for Dramatic Film | Ben Lewin | Won |
| Sundance Film Festival | January 28, 2012 | Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting | The Sessions | Won |
| Sundance Film Festival | January 28, 2012 | Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Film | Ben Lewin | Nominated |
| Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | November 28, 2012 | Best North American Independent Film | Ben Lewin | Nominated |
| Utah Film Critics Association | January 10, 2012 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| Vancouver Film Critics Circle | January 7, 2013 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| Vancouver Film Critics Circle | January 7, 2013 | Best Supporting Actress | Helen Hunt | Nominated |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | December 10, 2012 | Best Actor | John Hawkes | Nominated |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | December 10, 2012 | Best Supporting Actress | Helen Hunt | Nominated |