# List of accolades received by Dances with Wolves

Dances with Wolves is an American epic Western war film directed by and starring Kevin Costner, who co-produced the film with Jim Wilson. The screenplay was written by Michael Blake as an adaptation of his 1988 novel of the same name. The film focuses on a former Union Army lieutenant (Costner), who travels to a military post on the American frontier, before meeting a group of Lakota Sioux, with whose culture he becomes fascinated. The film features Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, and Rodney A. Grant in supporting roles.
The film received its world premiere at the Uptown Theater in Washington, D.C., on October 19, 1990. Orion Pictures gave the film a limited release on November 9, 1990 before a wide release on November 23, 1990. The film grossed over $424 million worldwide on an estimated $22 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing Western of all time. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 66 reviews and judged 83% of them to be positive.
Dances with Wolves received awards and nominations in a variety of categories, with praise particularly going to Costner's direction, the lead and supporting acting performances, and the screenplay by Michael Blake as well as the film's cinematography, musical score, and editing. It was nominated for twelve awards at the 63rd Academy Awards, winning seven, including the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, in addition to a variety of technical awards. At the 48th Golden Globe Awards, Dances with Wolves received six nominations, winning three for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
The film garnered nine nominations for the 45th British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film; However, it did not win in any categories. It was also awarded by other organizations: Costner received a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, while the film received the National Board of Review Award for Best Film, Best Theatrical Motion Picture from the Producers Guild of America, and Best Adapted Screenplay from the Writers Guild of America.

## Accolades

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Result |
| Academy Awards | March 25, 1991 | Best Picture | Jim Wilson and Kevin Costner | Won |
| Academy Awards | March 25, 1991 | Best Director | Kevin Costner | Won |
| Academy Awards | March 25, 1991 | Best Actor | Kevin Costner | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | March 25, 1991 | Best Supporting Actor | Graham Greene | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | March 25, 1991 | Best Supporting Actress | Mary McDonnell | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | March 25, 1991 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Michael Blake | Won |
| Academy Awards | March 25, 1991 | Best Art Direction | Jeffrey Beecroft and Lisa Dean | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | March 25, 1991 | Best Cinematography | Dean Semler | Won |
| Academy Awards | March 25, 1991 | Best Costume Design | Elsa Zamparelli | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | March 25, 1991 | Best Film Editing | Neil Travis | Won |
| Academy Awards | March 25, 1991 | Best Original Score | John Barry | Won |
| Academy Awards | March 25, 1991 | Best Sound | Russell Williams, Jeffrey Perkins, Bill W. Benton, and Gregory H. Watkins | Won |
| American Cinema Editors | January 8, 1991 | Best Edited Feature Film | Neil Travis | Won |
| American Society of Cinematographers | February 15, 2004 | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases | Dean Semler | Won |
| Japan Academy Prize | March 20, 1992 | Outstanding Foreign Language Film | Dances with Wolves | Won |
| BAFTA Awards | 1992 | Best Film | Jim Wilson and Kevin Costner | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards | 1992 | Best Direction | Kevin Costner | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards | 1992 | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Kevin Costner | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards | 1992 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Michael Blake | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards | 1992 | Best Film Music | John Barry | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards | 1992 | Best Editing | Neil Travis | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards | 1992 | Best Cinematography | Dean Semler | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards | 1992 | Best Makeup and Hair | Francisco X. Pérez | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards | 1992 | Best Sound | Russell Williams, Jeffrey Perkins, Bill W. Benton, and Gregory H. Watkins | Nominated |
| BMI Awards | July 23, 1991 | Film Music Award | John Barry | Won |
| Berlin International Film Festival | February 26, 1991 | Silver Bear for Outstanding Single Achievement | Kevin Costner | Won |
| British Society of Cinematographers | December 15, 1990 | Best Cinematography | Dean Semler | Nominated |
| Casting Society of America | January 5, 1991 | Best Feature Film Casting – Drama | Elisabeth Leustig | Won |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | March 7, 1991 | Best Film | Dances with Wolves | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | March 7, 1991 | Best Director | Kevin Costner | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | March 7, 1991 | Best Screenplay | Michael Blake | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | March 7, 1991 | Best Cinematography | Dean Semler | Won |
| César Awards | February 22, 1992 | Best Foreign Film | Dances with Wolves | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | March 10, 1991 | Best Foreign Film | Kevin Costner | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | March 10, 1991 | Best Foreign Actor | Kevin Costner | Nominated |
| Directors Guild of America Awards | March 16, 1991 | Outstanding Directing – Feature Film | Kevin Costner | Won |
| Environmental Media Awards | January 27, 1991 | Feature Film | Dances with Wolves | Won |
| Goldene Kamera | February 10, 1998 | Film–International | Kevin Costner (also for Waterworld and The Postman) | Won |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 19, 1991 | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Dances with Wolves | Won |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 19, 1991 | Best Director | Kevin Costner | Won |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 19, 1991 | Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama | Kevin Costner | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 19, 1991 | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Mary McDonnell | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 19, 1991 | Best Screenplay | Michael Blake | Won |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 19, 1991 | Best Original Score | John Barry | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | February 25, 1992 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | John Barry | Won |
| Independent Spirit Awards | March 23, 1991 | Special Distinction Award | Jim Wilson and Kevin Costner | Won |
| Kinema Junpo Awards | March 10, 1992 | Best Foreign Language Film | Dances with Wolves | Won |
| Kinema Junpo Awards | March 10, 1992 | Readers' Choice Award for Best Foreign Language Film | Dances with Wolves | Won |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | January 16, 1991 | Best Film | Dances with Wolves | 2nd place |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | January 16, 1991 | Best Director | Kevin Costner | 2nd place |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | January 16, 1991 | New Generation Award | Kevin Costner | 2nd place |
| Mainichi Film Awards | January 3, 1992 | Best Foreign Film | Dances with Wolves | Won |
| National Board of Review | December 16, 1990 | Top Ten Films | Dances with Wolves | Won |
| National Board of Review | December 16, 1990 | Best Film | Dances with Wolves | Won |
| National Board of Review | December 16, 1990 | Best Director | Kevin Costner | Won |
| National Film Preservation Board | December 27, 2007 | Selection for the National Film Registry | Dances with Wolves | Won |
| Nikkan Sports Film Awards | November 8, 1992 | Best Foreign Film | Dances with Wolves | Won |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | March 5, 1991 | Best Theatrical Motion Picture | Jim Wilson and Kevin Costner | Won |
| Political Film Society | March 26, 1991 | Peace | Dances with Wolves | Won |
| USC Scripter Award | February 19, 1991 | Scripter Award | Michael Blake | Nominated |
| Bronze Wrangler | January 11, 1991 | Theatrical Motion Picture | Kevin Costner, Jim Wilson, and Rodney A. Grant | Won |
| Spur Award | April 5, 1991 | Best Motion Picture | Michael Blake | Won |
| Writers Guild of America Awards | March 20, 1991 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Michael Blake | Won |
| Young Artist Awards | January 3, 1991 | Most Entertaining Family Youth Motion Picture – Drama | Dances with Wolves | Won |
American Film Institute
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