He has been nominated for and has won a plethera of awards over the years, non more so than in 1997 when he swept the board with The English Patient. Not only did he win an Academy Award and a BAFTA, but the film also won him Cinematographer of the Year at the European Film Awards; Best Cinematographer at the American Society of Cinematographers as well as Best Cinematographer for the Los Angeles; Chicago; Boston and Florida Film Critic Associations.

Seale has been nominated for a further two Academy Awards. In 1985 he was nominted an Academy and BAFTA Award for Witness, as well as winning the ACS/Milli Cinematographer of the Year and ACS Golden Tripod. Four years later, he was again nominated for an Academy Award in 1989 for Rainman as well as winning the Artistic Achievement Award for IATSE 659 and the ASC Outstanding Achievement Award.

Most recently he received a BAFTA nomination for The Talented Mr Ripley and prior to this he was nominated for a BAFTA Award as well as being voted Cinematographer of the Year by Premiere Magazine for Gorillas in the Mist. Further major award-winning credits include: Children of a Lesser God which in 1986 won him the ACS Golden Tripod; Careful he Might Hear You which won him the AFI Best Cinematographer; Silver City for which he was further nominated; Goodbye Paradise which in 1982 won him the ACS/Milli Cinematographer of the Year and the ACS Golden Tripod and The Survivor for which he was both nominated for an AFI and Sammy Award.

Other major film credits include: The Perfect Storm; At First Sight; City of Angels; Ghosts of Mississippi; The American President; The Paper; The Firm; Lorenzo's Oil; The Doctor; Dead Poet's Society; Stakeout; The Mosquito Coast and The Hitcher.#