ʃˈɛli wˈʌn ðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti nˈaɪn tˈoʊni ɐwˈɔːɹd fɔːɹ bˈɛst ˈæktɹəs ɪn ɐ plˈeɪ fɔːɹ hɜː ɹˈoʊl æz mˈɪsɪz. kˈɛndəl ɪnðɪ ˈɛlɪfənt mˈæn, ænd wʌz nˈɑːmᵻnˌeɪɾᵻd fɚðə tˈoʊni ɐwˈɔːɹd æz fˈiːtʃɚd ˈæktɹəs ɪn ɐ plˈeɪ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi sˈɛvən fɔːɹ hɜː pɚfˈoːɹməns ɪn stˈɛpɪŋ ˈaʊt æz "mæksˈiːn".
Shelley won the 1979 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her role as Mrs. Kendal in The Elephant Man, and was nominated for the Tony Award as Featured Actress in a Play in 1987 for her performance in Stepping Out as "Maxine".