The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning two (Best Actor and Best Screenplay). James Stewart did not expect to win and felt that the award was given to him as compensation for his role in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington the previous year.[14]
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards[25] | Best Picture | Joseph L. Mankiewicz (for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) | Nominated |
| Best Director | George Cukor | Nominated | |
| Best Actor | James Stewart | Won | |
| Best Actress | Katharine Hepburn | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Ruth Hussey | Nominated | |
| Best Screenplay | Donald Ogden Stewart | Won | |
| National Film Preservation Board | National Film Registry | Inducted | |
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards[26] | Best Film | Nominated | |
| Best Actress | Katharine Hepburn | Won | |
| Online Film & Television Association Awards[27] | Hall of Fame – Motion Picture | Won |
The film was named the third-best of the year by The Film Daily.[28]
In 1995, the film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.[12]
The film was included in various American Film Institute lists:
- 1998: AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies – #51[29]
- 2000: AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs – #15[30]
- 2002: AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions – #44[31]
- 2007: AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) – #44[32]
- 2008: AFI's 10 Top 10 – #5 Romantic Comedy Film[33]
