List of accolades received by the Before trilogy
Accolades received by American film series
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The Before trilogy consists of three romantic drama films—Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), and Before Midnight (2013)—directed by Richard Linklater and starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.[1][2] The films were written by Linklater, in collaboration with Kim Krizan for the first installment and with the lead actors for the sequels.[3] The series follows the romantic relationship of Jesse (Hawke) and Céline (Delpy) across more than eighteen years.[4] Each film is set over the course of several hours and features dialogue-driven storytelling that explores their relationship, personal identities, and differing perspectives.[5] The Before trilogy explores themes of love, death, fate, nostalgia, temporality, existentialism, and urban wandering.[4][6]
From left to right: Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, and Ethan Hawke received several accolades for their screenplays for Before Sunset and Before Midnight. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Totals[a] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Wins | 51 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nominations | 94 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Note
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![Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke in 2013](#/media/File:Julie_Delpy_and_Ethan_Hawke,_red_carpet_for_the_premiere_of_"Before_Midnight"_(cropped).jpg)
The series grossed $61.5 million worldwide against a combined budget of $8.2 million.[a] It was met with critical acclaim,[b] with particular praise for its screenplays, Linklater's direction, and the performances of Hawke and Delpy.[c] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the three films hold respective approval ratings of 100%,[21] 94%,[22] and 98%.[23]
The trilogy received numerous accolades. Linklater won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival for Before Sunrise. In 2025, the film was selected by the National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the United States Library of Congress's National Film Registry. Before Sunset and Before Midnight were both nominated for the Bodil Award for Best English Language Film, the Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Feature, the Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Picture, and the Silver Condor Award for Best Foreign Film, with both screenplays also nominated at the Academy Awards, the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the Online Film Critics Society Awards, and the Writers Guild of America Awards. Before Sunset won Best Film in the Village Voice Film Poll, where Linklater was voted Best Director. Before Midnight's screenplay won several awards, including the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay, while Delpy received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
Before Sunrise
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin International Film Festival | February 22, 1995 | Silver Bear for Best Director | Richard Linklater | Won | [24] [25] |
| Golden Bear | Before Sunrise | Nominated | |||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | March 12, 1996 | Best Screenplay | Richard Linklater and Kim Krizan | Nominated | [26] |
| MTV Movie Awards | June 10, 1995 | Best Kiss | Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke | Nominated | [27] |
| National Film Preservation Board | January 29, 2026 | Selection for the National Film Registry | Before Sunrise | Won | [28] |
Before Sunset
Before Midnight
Notes
- Tied with Zodiac, Letters from Iwo Jima, Waltz with Bashir, and Irréversible[33]
- Tied with Daniel Brühl for Rush[69]
- Tied with Emma Thompson for Saving Mr. Banks[69]