James Earl Jones
Awards & Honours
42
Awards Won
8
Honours
2
Rankings
3
Covers
3
Records
James Earl Jones's career was marked by historic achievements. He was one of the few artists to complete the EGOT grand slam, winning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. His two Tony wins for Best Actor in a Play placed him among the most celebrated stage performers of his generation. The Academy Honorary Award recognized his "legacy of consistent excellence and uncommon versatility." Jones received the National Medal of Arts, the nation's highest honor for artistic achievement, and the Kennedy Center Honor for his lifetime contributions to American culture. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame further cement his legacy as a trailblazer and icon.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
American Theater Hall of Fame Inductee
Inducted for lifetime contributions to American theater.
National Medal of Arts
Awarded by the President of the United States for outstanding contributions to the arts.
Kennedy Center Honor
Recognized for lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts.
Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award
Awarded for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment.
Academy Honorary Award
Honorary Oscar for his legacy of consistent excellence and uncommon versatility.
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement
Special Tony for lifetime achievement in the theatre.
Horatio Alger Award
Awarded to individuals who have overcome adversity to achieve success.
Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
Star at 6600 Hollywood Boulevard for motion pictures.
Rankings & Lists
Greatest Actors of All Time
Most Iconic Villain Performances
Magazine Covers
Time
1970-10-12
James Earl Jones: The Great Black Hope
Newsweek
1994-06-20
The Lion King's Roar
The Hollywood Reporter
2011-11-11
James Earl Jones: The Honorary Oscar
Records & Feats
First Black actor to win two competitive Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Play
Jones won in 1969 for The Great White Hope and in 1987 for Fences, becoming the first Black actor to achieve this.
One of the few EGOT winners in entertainment history
Jones won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar (Honorary), and Tony awards, placing him in an elite group of performers.
Longest-running voice role in a major film franchise
Jones voiced Darth Vader from 1977 to 2022, spanning 45 years across multiple Star Wars films and series.