| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards[39] | Best Picture | Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz | Won |
| Best Director | Miloš Forman | Won | |
| Best Actor | Jack Nicholson | Won | |
| Best Actress | Louise Fletcher | Won | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Brad Dourif | Nominated | |
| Best Screenplay – Adapted from Other Material | Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman | Won | |
| Best Cinematography | Haskell Wexler and Bill Butler | Nominated | |
| Best Film Editing | Richard Chew, Lynzee Klingman and Sheldon Kahn | Nominated | |
| Best Original Score | Jack Nitzsche | Nominated | |
| American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Feature Film | Richard Chew, Lynzee Klingman and Sheldon Kahn | Nominated |
| Bodil Awards | Best Non-European Film | Miloš Forman | Won |
| British Academy Film Awards[40] | Best Film | Won | |
| Best Direction | Miloš Forman | Won | |
| Best Actor in a Leading Role | Jack Nicholson | Won | |
| Best Actress in a Leading Role | Louise Fletcher | Won | |
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Brad Dourif | Won | |
| Best Screenplay | Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman | Nominated | |
| Best Cinematography | Haskell Wexler and Bill Butler | Nominated | |
| Best Editing | Richard Chew, Lynzee Klingman and Sheldon Kahn | Won | |
| Chicago International Film Festival | Best Feature | Miloš Forman | Nominated |
| César Awards | Best Foreign Film | Nominated | |
| David di Donatello Awards | Best Foreign Director | Miloš Forman | Won |
| Best Foreign Actor | Jack Nicholson | Won | |
| Directors Guild of America Awards[41] | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures | Miloš Forman | Won |
| Golden Globe Awards[42] | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Won | |
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Jack Nicholson | Won | |
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Louise Fletcher | Won | |
| Best Director – Motion Picture | Miloš Forman | Won | |
| Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman | Won | |
| New Star of the Year – Actor | Brad Dourif | Won | |
| Golden Screen Awards | Won | ||
| Grammy Awards | Best Album of Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special | Jack Nitzsche | Nominated |
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Director | Miloš Forman | Won |
| Kinema Junpo Awards | Best Foreign Director | Won | |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards[43] | Best Film | Won[a] | |
| Nastro d'Argento | Best Foreign Director | Miloš Forman | Won |
| National Board of Review Awards[44] | Top Ten Films | 3rd Place | |
| Best Actor | Jack Nicholson | Won | |
| National Film Preservation Board[45] | National Film Registry | Inducted | |
| National Society of Film Critics Awards[46] | Best Actor | Jack Nicholson | Won |
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards[47] | Best Actor | Won | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Louise Fletcher | Runner-up | |
| Online Film & Television Association Awards[48] | Hall of Fame – Motion Picture | Won | |
| People's Choice Awards[49] | Favorite Motion Picture | Won | |
| Sant Jordi Awards | Best Foreign Actor | Jack Nicholson (also for Carnal Knowledge and The Passenger) | Won |
| Writers Guild of America Awards[50] | Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium | Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman | Won |
In 2015, the film ranked 59th on BBC's "100 Greatest American Films" list, voted on by film critics from around the world.[51]
American Film Institute
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies – #20[52]
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains:[53]
- Nurse Ratched – #5 Villain
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers – #17[54]
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) – #33[55]
