Mahershala Ali has won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor, one Golden Globe, two Primetime Emmys, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. His first Oscar came for Moonlight in 2017, making him the first Muslim actor to win an Academy Award . He won his second Oscar two years later for Green Book in 2019 .
The awards won by Mahershala Ali reflect a remarkably concentrated period of acclaim, with his major film honors arriving within a three-year window. His television work has also earned recognition from the Television Academy, though his Emmy wins came in producing and narration categories rather than acting .
Academy Awards
Ali won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Juan in Moonlight at the 89th Academy Awards held in 2017 . The win was historic: he became the first Muslim actor to take home an acting Oscar . In his acceptance speech, Ali thanked his wife, who had given birth to their daughter just four days earlier, and shared a lesson from his teachers that “it’s not about you” but about serving the stories being told .
Two years later, Ali won his second Best Supporting Actor Oscar for portraying pianist Dr. Donald Shirley in Green Book at the 91st Academy Awards in 2019 . During his speech, he dedicated the award to his grandmother, saying she had “gotten me over the hump every step of the way” . This second win placed him in rare company among Black actors with multiple acting Oscars .
Golden Globe Awards
Ali received the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture in 2019 for Green Book . It was his first Golden Globe win, following a prior nomination in 2017 for Moonlight . In his acceptance speech, Ali thanked his wife, mother, and grandmother, telling them, “I thank you for your prayers. I’ve needed each and every one of them” . He also praised the real Dr. Shirley, saying his “passion and his virtuosity, and the dignity he carried himself with” inspired him daily .
Primetime Emmy Awards
The Television Academy has recognized Ali with two wins, both outside the acting categories. In 2020, he won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program as an executive producer of We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest, an HBO special featuring children performing speeches inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. . In 2023, he won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Narrator . Ali has also received acting nominations for Ramy and True Detective, though he has not won in those categories .Quick Bio: Mahershala Ali
Note on verification: The net worth figure is an estimate from entertainment media and is not officially confirmed by Ali or his representatives. Height is consistently reported as 6’2″ across multiple sources. Social media presence is confirmed via Instagram.
Screen Actors Guild Awards
Ali won the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in 2017 for Moonlight . At that ceremony, he spoke about his Muslim faith and the character’s capacity for acceptance, saying Juan “saw a young man folding into himself as a result of persecution in his community and took the opportunity to tell him that he matters” . He later won a second SAG Award as part of the ensemble cast of Hidden Figures, which took the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture prize that same year.
Comparison and Context
Ali’s awards profile differs notably from many decorated actors in that his Emmys came for producing and narration rather than performance. By contrast, his film awards are concentrated in a single category: Best Supporting Actor. This focus distinguishes him from actors who win across lead and supporting categories. His two Oscar wins in three years also mirror the pattern of Denzel Washington, who won Best Supporting Actor for Glory in 1990 and Best Actor for Training Day in 2002, though Ali achieved both wins in the supporting field.
Verification Note
One award sometimes attributed to Ali requires careful qualification. A BAFTA win is mentioned in a Hollywood Reporter article describing him as a “BAFTA and two-time Oscar winner” . However, the official BAFTA winners database was not directly reviewed for this article, so the specific film and year of that award are not confirmed here. All other wins described above are supported by official academy, guild, or organizational records cited in the reporting.
Where the Awards Are Now
In a 2026 appearance at a London cinema, Ali revealed that his two Oscars are stored in a cabinet out of his sightline. “I was feeling too accomplished in some weird way,” he said. “I needed to move them out of my sightline so I could get back to the work” . The remark offers a candid glimpse into how the actor regards the awards won by Mahershala Ali: as markers of achievement rather than endpoints.
Q1: How many Oscars has Mahershala Ali won?
Mahershala Ali has won two Academy Awards, both for Best Supporting Actor. His first came in 2017 for Moonlight, making him the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar . He won his second in 2019 for Green Book .
Q2: What was the first major award Mahershala Ali won for Moonlight?
Before his Oscar win, Ali took home the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in January 2017 for his portrayal of Juan in Moonlight . His SAG speech drew attention for its message about acceptance and the importance of telling people they matter .
Q3: Has Mahershala Ali won any Emmys?
Yes, Ali has won two Primetime Emmys, though neither was for acting. He won Outstanding Children’s Program in 2020 as an executive producer of We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest . He later won Outstanding Narrator in 2023 . He has also received acting nominations for Ramy and True Detective .
Q4: Where does Mahershala Ali keep his Oscars?
Ali revealed in 2026 that his two Oscars are stored in a cabinet out of his sightline. “I was feeling too accomplished in some weird way,” he explained. “I needed to move them out of my sightline so I could get back to the work” . He described the wins as giving him “a sense of accomplishment, which is not fulfillment” .
