Artists of all different disciplines put their lives into their work, but not all have been showered with praise or recognized at the highest levels. It’s disappointing when talented people do not get the proper credit from critics, their peers or fans. In some cases, it is too late before they finally get the recognition they deserve.
Demi Moore, an American actress who is known for her roles as Esmerelda in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and Erin Grant in “Striptease,” finally took the stage at the Golden Globes to receive the award for best performance by a female actor in a musical or comedy.
She was nominated for many awards throughout her 40-year career, but this is the first time she has won a major award for her work.
Moore is not alone in the industry when it comes to having a long career with no major award recognition. It sometimes takes years for actors to win just one award.
An example of an actor who has had some iconic roles in movies and is incredibly talented in the industry is Johnny Depp, who has been nominated three times for an Oscar and 10 Golden Globes, but he has only taken home one Golden Globe. Or someone like Leonardo DiCaprio, who won his first Oscar 33 years after his first Academy Award nomination.
But there are some stars who shockingly never won an Oscar, Emmy or Golden Globe.
An actor that comes to mind for never winning a major award is Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson has been nominated four times for a Golden Globe, one time for an Emmy and one time for an Oscar. Jackson did win an honorary Academy Award, but he has never won any of the major awards he has been nominated for. His honorary award was for recognizing his work as a "cultural icon whose dynamic work has resonated across genres and generations and audiences worldwide."
Jake Gyllenhaal is another actor who has never won a major award. Gyllenhaal has been nominated three times for a Golden Globe, including his performance in “Nightcrawler.” He only has one Academy Award nomination for his performance in “Brokeback Mountain.”
Another actor who has never won a major award is “Hunger Games” star Woody Harrelson. Harrelson has been nominated for five Golden Globes and three Academy Awards.
An actress who has won two Golden Globes and has had an impressive amount of major award nominations is Amy Adams. Adams is known for her performance as Giselle in Disney’s “Enchanted,” but she has been in many other films to display her talent. She has had six Academy Award nominations, two Primetime Emmy nominations and 10 Golden Globe nominations, only taking home two Golden Globes in 2014 and 2015. For the amount of nominations and films she has been in, it is shocking to see how little she has received an award for her work.
Another actress who has only won one Golden Globe but has another impressive resume of work is Taraji P. Henson. Henson is best known for her work in “Hidden Figures” and “The Color Purple,” but has only won one major award. She has been nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards, two Daytime Emmy awards, one Golden Globe nomination and one Academy Award nomination. The only major award she has taken home was the Golden Globe for “Hidden Figures,” but it is shocking to see how few awards Henson has won.
Helena Bonham Carter came as a shock for an actress who has had diverse, iconic roles throughout her career and has only won one International Emmy but has several nominations for other major awards. Carter has an impressive number of nominations for major awards but has only gone home with one. She has two Academy Award nominations, nine Golden Globe nominations and five Primetime Emmy nominations.
In the world of art and performance, recognition often comes slowly, and sometimes not at all, for even the most talented individuals. While Moore’s Golden Globe win marks a well-deserved moment of recognition, many other actors, like Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal and Helena Bonham Carter, remain underappreciated despite their substantial contributions to the craft and very little major award recognition.
These examples underscore a broader truth, that awards may validate an artist’s work, but they are not the ultimate measure of their impact or legacy. Their talent, resilience and enduring influence are what truly define their careers.
