Denzel Washington beat himself as the most nominated Black actor in the history of the Academy Awards following the announcement of the 2022 Oscars Nominations.
In 1988, Denzel Washington earned his first Oscar nod for his portrayal of Steve Biko in Cry Freedom and has gone on to be nominated nine more times.
Washington is well deserved the nominations. He not only has embodied perfect characters on screen but has also mentored some of the top black actors of the millennial era. The list includes the late Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan.
Washington received a Best Actor nomination for his performance in the lead role in A24’s The Tragedy of Macbeth – scoring his tenth overall, and first since 2018’s Roman J. Israel, Esq. Throughout his storied career, Denzel has built a reputation as a powerful and passionate actor known for his unique improvisation skills, and the remarkable ability to remain a power player in the entertainment industry for over 40 years.
Check out our list of Denzel’s Academy Award-nominated performances throughout the years.
01: Steve Biko – ‘Cry Freedom’ (1988)
Washington’s performance as Steve Biko
in 1987’s epic drama film Cry Freedom, gave the up-and-coming actor his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Although he didn’t go home with the gold, he gave many their first introduction to his keen acting talent.
05: Alonzo Harris – ‘Training Day’ (2002) 
Denzel Washington played the villain role perfectly in 2001’s Training Day alongside Ethan Hawke. He brought the crooked LAPD narcotics officer Alonzo Harris to life and provide us with the classic line: “King Kong ain’t got s*** on me!” Washington won his first Best Actor Oscar, and the first Black man to win the award since Sidney Poitier.
07: Troy Maxson – ‘Fences’ (2017)
2016’s Fences brought Denzel’s legend to another level. Throughout the film, he showed why he was among the film industry’s greatest of all time. His powerful scenes alongside Viola Davis and Jovan Adepo were both beautiful and heartbreaking.
