# List of accolades received by Milk (film)

Milk had received accolades from several film critics organizations.
* December 2, 2008, the film received 4 nominations for the 24th Independent Spirit Awards and won 2, including Best Supporting Male (James Franco) and Best First Screenplay (Dustin Lance Black).
* December 9, 2008, the film received eight Critic's Choice Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.
* December 11, 2008, Sean Penn received one Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor, the film's only nomination.
* December 18, 2008, the Screen Actors Guild nominated Milk on three categories: Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Cast in a Motion Picture for the 15th Screen Actors Guild Awards; Sean Penn was chosen as Best Actor.
* January 5, 2009, the film's producers received a nomination for Producer of the Year for the 20th Producers Guild of America Awards.
* January 8, 2009, Gus Van Sant received a nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement for the 61st Directors Guild of America Awards.
* The film won Best Original Screenplay at the 62nd Writers Guild of America Awards
* The film received four BAFTA award nominations, including Best Film, for the 62nd British Academy Film Awards.
* January 22, 2009 the film received 8 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and winning two for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor in a Leading Role (Sean Penn).
| Award | Category | Name | Outcome |
| 81st Academy Awards | Best Picture | Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen | Nominated |
| 81st Academy Awards | Best Director | Gus Van Sant | Nominated |
| 81st Academy Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won |
| 81st Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Josh Brolin | Nominated |
| 81st Academy Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Dustin Lance Black | Won |
| 81st Academy Awards | Best Costume Design | Danny Glicker | Nominated |
| 81st Academy Awards | Best Film Editing | Elliot Graham | Nominated |
| 81st Academy Awards | Best Original Score | Danny Elfman | Nominated |
| 59th American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards | Best Edited Feature Film, Dramatic | Elliot Graham | Nominated |
| American Film Institute | Top 10 Outstanding Movies of the Year | Top 10 Outstanding Movies of the Year | Won |
| 13th Art Directors Guild Awards | Excellence in Production Design in a Period Film | Bill Groom | Nominated |
| 4th Austin Film Critics Association Awards | Top 10 Films | Top 10 Films | 3rd Place |
| 4th Austin Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won |
| 28th Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Director | Gus Van Sant | Won |
| 28th Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won |
| 28th Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Screenplay | Dustin Lance Black | Won |
| 14th BFCA Critic's Choice Awards | Best Picture | Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen | Nominated |
| 14th BFCA Critic's Choice Awards | Best Director | Gus Van Sant | Nominated |
| 14th BFCA Critic's Choice Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won |
| 14th BFCA Critic's Choice Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Josh Brolin | Nominated |
| 14th BFCA Critic's Choice Awards | Best Supporting Actor | James Franco | Nominated |
| 14th BFCA Critic's Choice Awards | Best Writer | Dustin Lance Black | Nominated |
| 14th BFCA Critic's Choice Awards | Best Composer | Danny Elfman | Nominated |
| 14th BFCA Critic's Choice Awards | Best Acting Ensemble | Best Acting Ensemble | Won |
| 62nd British Academy Film Awards | Best Film | Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen | Nominated |
| 62nd British Academy Film Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Sean Penn | Nominated |
| 62nd British Academy Film Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Dustin Lance Black | Nominated |
| 62nd British Academy Film Awards | Best Makeup and Hair | Steven E. Anderson, Michael White | Nominated |
| 34th César Awards | Best Foreign Film | Gus Van Sant | Nominated |
| 21st Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Picture | Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen | Nominated |
| 21st Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Director | Gus Van Sant | Nominated |
| 21st Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Nominated |
| 21st Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Dustin Lance Black | Nominated |
| 21st Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Original Score | Danny Elfman | Nominated |
| 11th Costume Designers Guild Awards | Excellence in Period Costume Design for Film | Danny Glicker | Nominated |
| 15th Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | Top 10 Films | Top 10 Films | 2nd Place |
| 15th Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | Best Film | Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen | Runner-up |
| 15th Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | Best Director | Gus Van Sant | Nominated |
| 15th Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won |
| 15th Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Josh Brolin | Runner-up |
| 15th Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | Best Screenplay | Dustin Lance Black | Won |
| 2nd Detroit Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Nominated |
| 61st Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film | Gus Van Sant | Nominated |
| 20th GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Film, Wide Release | Outstanding Film, Wide Release | Won |
| 66th Golden Globe Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Motion Picture Drama | Sean Penn | Nominated |
| 2nd Houston Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won |
| 24th Independent Spirit Awards | Best Male Lead | Sean Penn | Nominated |
| 24th Independent Spirit Awards | Best Supporting Male | James Franco | Won |
| 24th Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Screenplay | Dustin Lance Black | Won |
| 24th Independent Spirit Awards | Best Cinematography | Harris Savides | Nominated |
| 5th International Film Music Critics Association Awards | Best Original Score for a Drama Film | Danny Elfman | Nominated |
| 29th London Film Critics Circle | Best Film of the Year | Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen | Nominated |
| 29th London Film Critics Circle | Best Director of the Year | Gus Van Sant | Nominated |
| 29th London Film Critics Circle | Best Actor of the Year | Sean Penn | Nominated |
| 34th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won |
| 56th Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing, Dialogue and ADR in a Feature Film | Robert Jackson | Nominated |
| 80th National Board of Review Awards | Top 10 Films | Top 10 Films | Nominated |
| 80th National Board of Review Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Josh Brolin | Won |
| 43rd National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won |
| 43rd National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Director | Gus Van Sant | Runner-up |
| 74th New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Picture | Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen | Won |
| 74th New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won |
| 74th New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Josh Brolin | Won |
| 8th New York Film Critics Online Awards | Top 10 Films | Top 10 Films | Won |
| 8th New York Film Critics Online Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won |
| 8th New York Film Critics Online Awards | Best Ensemble | Best Ensemble | Won |
| 3rd Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards | Top 10 Films | Top 10 Films | Won |
| 3rd Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Dustin Lance Black | Won |
| 9th Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Top 10 Films | Top 10 Films | Nominated |
| 9th Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role | Sean Penn | Won |
| 9th Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Best Acting Ensemble | Best Acting Ensemble | Won |
| 20th Producers Guild of America Awards | Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures | Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen | Nominated |
| 20th Producers Guild of America Awards | Stanley Kramer Award | Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen | Won |
| 5th St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards | Best Picture | Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen | Nominated |
| 5th St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards | Best Director | Gus Van Sant | Nominated |
| 5th St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won |
| 5th St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Josh Brolin | Nominated |
| 5th St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards | Best Cinematography | Harris Savides | Nominated |
| 5th St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards | Best Screenplay | Dustin Lance Black | Nominated |
| 7th San Francisco Film Critics Awards | Best Picture | Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen | Won |
| 7th San Francisco Film Critics Awards | Best Director | Gus Van Sant | Won |
| 7th San Francisco Film Critics Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won |
| 7th San Francisco Film Critics Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Dustin Lance Black | Won |
| 13th Satellite Awards | Best Motion Picture, Drama | Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen | Nominated |
| 13th Satellite Awards | Best Director | Gus Van Sant | Nominated |
| 13th Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Sean Penn | Nominated |
| 13th Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | James Franco | Nominated |
| 13th Satellite Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Dustin Lance Black | Nominated |
| 13th Satellite Awards | Best Original Score | Danny Elfman | Nominated |
| 15th Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Nominated |
| 15th Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, Motion Picture | Sean Penn | Won |
| 15th Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, Motion Picture | Josh Brolin | Nominated |
| 23rd Society of Camera Operators Awards | Camera Operator of the Year | Will Arnot | Nominated |
| 17th Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards | Best Picture | Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen | Won |
| 17th Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards | Best Director | Gus Van Sant | Runner-up |
| 17th Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won |
| 17th Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Dustin Lance Black | Won |
| 12th Toronto Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Runner-up |
| 12th Toronto Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Josh Brolin | Runner-up |
| 9th Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Film | Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen | Won |
| 9th Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Director | Gus Van Sant | Nominated |
| 9th Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Won |
| 9th Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Josh Brolin | Nominated |
| 7th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | Best Film | Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen | Nominated |
| 7th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | Best Director | Gus Van Sant | Nominated |
| 7th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | Sean Penn | Nominated |
| 7th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Josh Brolin | Nominated |
| 7th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Dustin Lance Black | Nominated |
| 7th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | Best Ensemble | Best Ensemble | Nominated |
| 61st Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Dustin Lance Black | Won |
| 61st Writers Guild of America Awards | Paul Selvin Award | Dustin Lance Black | Won |