Why Did These Stars Refuse Their Major Award Nominations?

From the time we are young, we earn awards for our accomplishments in various aspects of our lives. With fame, this recognition only increases, but on a larger, more prominent stage. Many celebrities graciously accept any honors and nominations bestowed upon them, but others have flat-out refused to accept. They all have their reasons, whether we agree or not. But what are some of these reasons, and are they justified?

To compile this list of stars who refused or returned major awards or nominations, 24/7 Tempo reviewed multiple biographical and internet sources, including History.com and the Los Angeles Times, as well as entertainment industry media, and other general-interest sites.Those in the spotlight have refused their awards or nominations to protest or boycott and to shed light on a cause they are passionate about.

This post was updated June 3rd, 2025 to reflect additional information.

Here are stars who refused or returned major awards or nominations:

• Declined award or nomination: Knighthood
• Year: 1918
• Reason: The British government had betrayed the Arabs by reneging on a promise of independence

• Declined award or nomination: Knighthood
• Year: 1925
• Reason: He disliked honors and titles

• Declined award or nomination: Oscar for Best Screenplay
• Year: 1935
• Reason: To protest the Academy's opposition to unions including the Screen Writers' Guild

• Declined award or nomination: Oscars for Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor
• Year: 1962 and 1971
• Reason: He disliked competitions that pitted actors against each other

• Declined award or nomination: Nobel Prize for Literature
• Year: 1964
• Reason: He didn't want official recognition for fear that it would limit the impact of his writing if he appeared institutional

• Declined award or nomination: Returned his Member of the Order of the British Empire award
• Year: 1969
• Reason: In protest at Britain's foreign policy

• Declined award or nomination: Olympic silver medal
• Year: 1972
• Reason: In protest of how referees called the game

• Declined award or nomination: Oscar for Best Actor
• Year: 1973
• Reason: To protest the degrading portrayals of Native Americans in film, and to draw attention to an armed conflict that was taking place at Wounded Knee

• Declined award or nomination: Nobel Peace Prize
• Year: 1973
• Reason: The war in Vietnam was not yet over

• Declined award or nomination: Knighthood
• Year: 1987
• Reason: Personal and political reasons including his opposition to war

• Declined award or nomination: Grammy for Best Rap Performance
• Year: 1989
• Reason: They felt the rap genre was being disrespected because the rap awards were not being televised

• Declined award or nomination: Felix Award for Best Anglophone Artist
• Year: 1991
• Reason: Although she garnered success singing in English, she is a proud francophone Québécoise

• Declined award or nomination: Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance
• Year: 1991
• Reason: She said the awards were based on destructive materialistic values and commercialism

• Declined award or nomination: Knighthood
• Year: 1990s
• Reason: In protest against a lack of funding for the sciences

• Declined award or nomination: Commander of the Order of the British Empire award
• Year: 1996
• Reason: He said the award was silly and later turned down a life peerage

• Declined award or nomination: Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical
• Year: 1996
• Reason: She felt that the rest of the "Victor/Victoria" cast and production crew were being snubbed, as none of them were nominated in other categories

• Declined award or nomination: MTV Awards nomination for Best Male Artist
• Year: 1996
• Reason: He did not like the "indignities of judgment and competition"

• Declined award or nomination: Commander of the Order of the British Empire award and Knighthood
• Year: 1980 and 2000
• Reason: He thought the award was snobbish

• Declined award or nomination: Commander of the Order of the British Empire award and Knighthood
• Year: 2000 and 2003
• Reason: He didn't understand the point of the awards, and they were not what he had worked his whole life for

• Declined award or nomination: Officer of the Order of the British Empire award
• Year: 2001
• Reason: They didn't feel they deserved it

• Declined award or nomination: Officer of the Order of the British Empire award
• Year: 2001
• Reason: She wasn't saving lives and didn't deserve it

• Declined award or nomination: Oscar nomination for Best Documentary
• Year: 2011
• Reason: He was not allowed to wear a mask to hide his identity

• Declined award or nomination: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Year: 2012
• Reason: Bad blood between him and the other former band members

• Declined award or nomination: Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award
• Year: 2012
• Reason: The award was being given by Republican congressman Paul Ryan

• Declined award or nomination: Knighthood
• Year: 2013
• Reason: He wanted his colleagues to be recognized

• Declined award or nomination: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Year: 2019
• Reason: The concept of the institution is foreign to Radiohead

• Declined award or nomination: Nordic Council's environmental award
• Year: 2019
• Reason: Not enough was being done to address climate change

• Declined award or nomination: Returned his three Golden Globe awards
• Year: 2021
• Reason: In protest against the lack of diversity in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association

• Declined award or nomination: Grammy nominations for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Album
• Year: 2022
• Reason: Frustration with the disconnect between impactful music and those artists garnering nominations

• Declined award or nomination: Presidential Medal of Freedom (twice)
• Year: during the Trump administration
• Reason: Her husband was sick with COVID, and she didn't want to appear political