Complete List of Awards Won by Bob Dylan Throughout His Career

Bob Dylan stands as one of the most celebrated figures in music history, having garnered numerous prestigious awards throughout his career. His ascent to fame began with his second album in 1963, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, featuring legendary tracks like “Like a Rolling Stone,””The Times They Are a-Changin’,”and “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall.”Iconic albums such as Blood on the Tracks (1975) and Time Out of Mind (1997), along with the landmark 1965 releases Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited, signified his innovative contributions to music, notably pioneering the use of electric instrumentation in folk music, which stirred considerable debate at the time.

Over the years, Dylan’s life and artistry have been depicted in various films, including Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed documentary No Direction Home and the unconventional Todd Haynes film I’m Not There, where actors like Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Marcus Carl Franklin portray different aspects of his persona. The latest cinematic interpretation of his life is the 2024 biopic A Complete Unknown, directed by James Mangold, featuring Timothée Chalamet as young Bob Dylan in the 1960s. The film also stars Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez and Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash.

Bob Dylan: Oscar and Golden Globe Winner for Best Original Song

2000’s Wonder Boys Secured Two Major Awards for Dylan

Despite several film adaptations chronicling his life, the film that earned Dylan an Oscar is Wonder Boys (2000), where he does not appear. Directed by Curtis Hanson, this movie stars Michael Douglas as a writer struggling with creative stagnation, who gets involved with his students’ lives. The soundtrack features several Dylan tracks, with the artist recording the original song “Things Have Changed”specifically for the film.

The ensemble cast includes well-known talents like Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Katie Holmes, Rip Torn, and Robert Downey Jr. Although Wonder Boys received three Oscar nominations, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing, it won only the Academy Award for Best Original Song, marking Dylan’s initial and, to date, only Oscar. He also clinched a Golden Globe in the same category, triumphing over distinguished nominees like Randy Newman and Sting.

Bob Dylan: Nobel Prize in Literature Recipient

A Rare Achiever Among Nobel Laureate Songwriters

Bob Dylan playing the harmonica for the cover of his 2023 album Shadow Kingdom.

In 2016, Dylan attained the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the 12th laureate from the United States. He is notably among a select group of songwriters to achieve this recognition, traditionally reserved for novelists and poets like Kazuo Ishiguro, Pablo Neruda, Ernest Hemingway, and William Golding.

Though Dylan is often cited as the first songwriter to receive this honor, previous laureates such as Rabindranath Tagore and Dario Fo have also contributed to songwriting in their acclaimed careers.

Bob Dylan’s Grammy Achievements

Over Three Dozen Nominations and 10 Grammy Wins

Imagery from Bob Dylan albums, Highway 61 Revisited, Freewheelin Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks and Time Out of Mind — Custom image by Ana Nieves

Bob Dylan’s illustrious career has also been recognized at the Grammys, which started honoring musical achievements in 1959. His inaugural nomination came for his debut album in 1962, yet it wasn’t until 1970 that he secured his first Grammy, beginning a remarkable record of 10 Grammy wins. Below is a summary of each Grammy he has won:

Award	Year	Nominated Work
Album of the Year	1973	The Concert for Bangla Desh
Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male	1980	“Gotta Serve Somebody”
Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal	1990	Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1
Best Traditional Folk Album	1995	World Gone Wrong
Album of the Year	1998	Time Out of Mind
Best Contemporary Folk Album	1998	Time Out of Mind
Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male	1998	“Cold Irons Bound”
Best Contemporary Folk Album	2002	Love and Theft
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance	2007	“Someday Baby”
Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album	2007	Modern Times

To date, Bob Dylan has racked up 38 Grammy nominations, winning approximately 25% of these coveted awards. His most recent Grammy win was in 2007, although he has received five additional nominations since then, the latest being for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for his 2017 release, Triplicate. Additionally, he received the Grammys’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991, recognizing his early contributions with only three Grammys under his belt.

GMA Dove Award: Album by a Secular Artist

Acknowledged by the Gospel Music Community

An illustrated train from the cover of Bob Dylan's Slow Train Coming

In 1980, the same year he won a Grammy for “Gotta Serve Somebody,”the Gospel Music Association honored Dylan’s album Slow Train Coming, awarding it the title of Album by a Secular Artist. Competing entries that year included Wings to Fly by Jeannie C. Riley and You Gave Me Love (When Nobody Gave Me a Prayer) by B.J. Thomas.

Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

A Pioneer Inductee in 1988

Bob Dylan playing the guitar in a recording studio

In another remarkable acknowledgment of his impact, Bob Dylan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. At this ceremony, his induction was presented by fellow musical legend Bruce Springsteen, who would himself be inducted eleven years later. Dylan was among the first inductees along with renowned acts like The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Drifters, and The Supremes.

Additional Honors and Awards

Distinguished in Various Halls of Fame

Bob Dylan performing on stage in makeup in a still from Renaldo and Clara

Beyond his Grammy wins, Dylan’s list of accolades is extensive. He boasts multiple entries in the Grammy Hall of Fame, with three songs and five albums honored over the years. Additionally, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2012, a prestigious accolade that celebrates exceptional contributions by civilians alongside recipients like Toni Morrison and Dolores Huerta. Below is a comprehensive list of other significant awards and distinctions received by Dylan:

Award/Honor	Year	Nominated Work
Tom Paine Award	1963	N/A
Songwriters Hall of Fame	1982	N/A
Commander of Arts and Letters	1990	N/A
Grammy Hall of Fame	1994-2016	“Blowin’ in the Wind”(1994), “Like a Rolling Stone”(1998), Blonde on Blonde (1999), “Mr. Tambourine Man”(2002), Highway 61 Revisited (2002), Bringing It All Back Home (2006), Blood on the Tracks (2015), The Basement Tapes (2016)
Kennedy Center Honors	1997	N/A
The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize	1997	N/A
Polar Music Prize	2000	N/A
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame	2002	N/A
Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement	2003	N/A
Prince of Asturias Award	2007	N/A
Pulitzer Prize Special Award	2008	N/A
National Medal of Arts	2009	N/A
Presidential Medal of Freedom	2012	N/A
Officer of the Legion of Honor	2013	N/A
UK Music Video Awards – Best Interactive	2014	“Like a Rolling Stone”
Webby Awards – Online Film & Video – Best Editing	2014	“Like a Rolling Stone”
MusiCares Person of the Year	2015	N/A

While Bob Dylan himself is not in contention for any awards associated with the upcoming film A Complete Unknown, which features his music yet lacks original songs by him, the movie has already gained significant traction for the 2024-2025 awards season. This film has earned three nominations at the 2025 Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actor (Timothée Chalamet), and Best Supporting Actor (Edward Norton), along with a shortlist position for a Best Sound nomination at the Academy Awards, competing with other high-profile films like Emilia Pérez and Wicked.

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