Spike Lee
Awards & Honours
37
Awards Won
5
Honours
2
Records
Spike Lee's shelf of honors reflects a career that has been both critically lauded and culturally transformative. Winning his first competitive Oscar in 2019 for BlacKkKlansman was a long-overdue recognition, coming after decades of groundbreaking work. His honorary awards from the Academy, BAFTA, and César underscore his international impact. The National Medal of Arts in 2023 placed him among America's most distinguished artists. Five of his films are preserved in the National Film Registry, a rare honor that speaks to the lasting importance of his storytelling.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
National Medal of Arts
Awarded for outstanding contributions to American arts.
Academy Honorary Award
For his extraordinary contributions to cinema.
Honorary BAFTA
For outstanding contribution to world cinema.
Honorary César
For his body of work.
National Film Registry
Five of his films preserved: Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It, 4 Little Girls, When the Levees Broke.
Records & Feats
First Black filmmaker to have a film win the Grand Prix at Cannes for BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Lee's BlacKkKlansman won the Grand Prix, a top prize at Cannes, marking a historic achievement for a Black director.
Five films preserved in the National Film Registry
Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It, 4 Little Girls, and When the Levees Broke are all preserved, a rare honor.