Over the past century, few entertainers have achieved the legendary status of William H. Cosby Jr. His successes span five decades and virtually all media, remarkable accomplishments for a kid who emerged from humble beginnings in a Philly project.
In the 1960s, his stand-up act was a coast-to-coast sensation, spawning a string of hilarious, best-selling comedy albums, which went on to win eight Gold Records, five Platinum records and five Grammy Awards. His role on TV’s I Spy made him the first African-American to co-star in a dramatic series, breaking television’s racial barrier and winning three Emmy Awards. In the 1980s, he again rocked the television world with the The Cosby Show, a gentle, whimsical and hugely successful series that single-handedly revived the family sitcom (and rescued NBC).
With hit movies like Uptown Saturday Night and best-selling books like Fatherhood, Bill Cosby is quite simply a national treasure with the unique ability to touch people’s hearts.
- All-Around Male Entertainer
1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 - Male Performer in a New TV Program
1985 - All-Around TV Star
1988 - All-Time Favorite Performer
1999
- Best Comedy Performance
1964, 1965, 1966 - Best Comedy Recording
1967, 1968, 1969 - Best Recording for Children
1971, 1972
- Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Dramatic Series), I Spy
1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 - Bob Hope Humanitarian Award
2003 - Outstanding Children’s Animated Program– Little Bill
2004 - Male Performer in a New TV Program
1985 - All-Around TV Star
1988 - All-Time Favorite Performer
1999
- The Bill Cosby Show
1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 - A Different World
1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 - Cosby
1997, 1998
- 1985
- Aftonbladet TV Prize, Sweden
Best Foreign TV Personality – Male
1986, 1987, 1989, 1990 - Presidential Medal of Freedom - 2002
- Hasting Pudding Theatricals, USA
Man of the Year, 1969 - Kennedy Center Honors
Lifetime Achievement Award – 1998 - NAACP Image Award
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series, The Cosby Show – 1991
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, The Cosby Show - 1993 Hall of Fame Award - 2007
- Television Critics Association Awards
Career Achievement Award -2002 - Viewers for Quality Television Awards
Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series, The Cosby Show – 1985, 1986 - Golden Globe Awards
Best Performance by an actor in a Television Series, The Cosby Show - 1986, 1985
